The Unexpected Seventh Year
by MichGirl07
Summary: Harry and the gang decide to return to finish their final year at Hogwarts but even with Riddle gone, life is not quiet for Harry and his friends. Harry and Ginny get some unexpected news. The Death Eaters are out for revenge. Harry is getting dreams again...but the horcrux is gone, right? Another adventure begins! Canon through Battle of Hogwarts but ignores epilogue. R&R!
1. Prologue: September 1

**A/N: I am trying to use some of the social histories following the two World Wars to inform how our characters would react to the return to normalcy following the Final Battle. Don't worry though! It's still an action-packed piece of fiction. I just wasn't happy with how the seventh book ended and thought maybe lessons from a "muggle" war could help me fix it. I stick with the story as JKR wrote it though I do ignore the epilogue in Book 7… Didn't really fit with where this story is going!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own ideas. The characters and the world they live in are the sole property of J.K. Rowling. Her imagination has enabled this story, just as it enabled my obsession through childhood and now beyond, with the boy in the cupboard under the stairs.**

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**Prologue**

**September 1**

Harry and the Weasleys stood on Platform 9¾, waiting for the Hogwarts Express. The train sat in the station but they had another ten minutes before it would pull out. Any other year, a group of returning seventh years would have already boarded the train and found a compartment, catching up with all their old friends. But this year was different. This year, the platform was still packed, students of all ages hesitant to board the train. First years were clinging to their parents, while older students stood in groups, showing an unusual hesitation to leave their families and board the train to school.

Harry stood with his arms around Ginny, her head on his chest. Ron and Hermione stood on his other side, holding hands. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood in the group, oddly quiet. Usually, Mrs. Weasley would be rushing them all onto the train, coordinating her large brood and mothering everyone, while Mr. Weasley watched on. This year though, she stood subdued. Gathered around, the rest of the Weasley family was present. Charlie was actually coming on the train with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, as he would be serving as the new Care of Magical Creatures professor. Bill and Fleur had come to see them off, as had Percy and George. This was one of the first times that George had left the Burrow since Fred's funeral and Percy stood close to him. The two of them had been particularly close since Fred's death, Percy helping George through his grief.

Harry was looking forward to returning to Hogwarts for his seventh year. He needed a return to normalcy. But he was also anxious to return to the scene of the final battle against Voldemort. The castle had been fully restored over the summer and a monument to those lost in the war had been erected. But that didn't alleviate his anxiety.

He didn't have to return. Kingsley had offered him a position in the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic. He had tried to turn him down, as he didn't want a position just because he was _The Chosen One_. But Kingsley had explained that he was being offered the position because he deserved it. While he may not have the normal qualifications, Kingsley had said, he didn't need them. They required those of most applicants to ensure they were qualified and able to handle the difficult work of an Auror. Harry had already shown that he was fully capable of the intense work that was required to battle the Dark Arts. Still, Harry had turned him down, at least for now. He had spent his entire magical life battling Voldemort. While he still wanted to be an Auror, he wanted a single year of normalcy first. A single year to return to Hogwarts, the first place that had ever felt like home.

Ginny was happy Harry was returning. Hogwarts was planning an altered curriculum for just this year. Second years and above would get a combination of the previous year and their current year. Incoming seventh years would be combined with any returning seventh years who wished to repeat their final year. Only the first years would get the normal courseload. This meant that Ginny would be in class with Harry. She was grateful, as the past year had been difficult on her, with him off finding Horcruxes while she was at Hogwarts, leading Dumbledore's Army. Not knowing if he was alive or dead was devastating, so she was happy to be with him now.

Ron wasn't sure why he was returning. He had been offered a job with the Auror Office, just like Harry, but he wasn't sure it was the right job for him. He wasn't sure if he had it in him to keep fighting the Dark Arts after the year he had just had. He wanted to see what else there was.

Hermione, on the other hand, knew exactly what she was doing. She had never considered not returning. She was going to take her N.E.W.T.s and that was all there was to it.

As the clock approached 11am, the group moved to finally board the train. Molly was hesitant to see her family separated but she knew she had to let them go. Arthur put a comforting hand on her shoulder, lending her support. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione finally broke out of their trance-like states and turned to grab their trunks. Everyone exchanged long hugs, with Mrs. Weasley holding on just a little bit longer than others, and then the four students lugged their trunks onto the train, with Charlie following behind and a promise to see each other at Christmas hanging in the air.

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**A/N: What'd you think? Read and Review!**


	2. Chapter 1: A Return to Hogwarts

**Chapter 1**

**A Return to Hogwarts**

**September**

The train pulled into Hogsmeade Station just after dark. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny joined the crowds of students heading towards the carriages that would take them to the castle. Charlie had separated out, heading off with another new professor. Over the heads of the students, Hagrid could be heard calling for the first years. It was a calming sound to Harry. One he recognized, bringing him memories of his very first time on the platform, before he was aware of everything that was to come. He could feel many of the other students staring at him but he ignored it. He had been getting stares since that very first day and they had only gotten worse over the past summer.

As the students got to the carriages, many could be heard gasping. Harry knew how strange it was to suddenly see the thestrals pulling the carriages, and with the amount of death Voldemort had unleashed over the past years, more students than ever before were able to see the strange creatures. Luckily, Hagrid had introduced many of the students to thestrals during a Care of Magical Creatures class several years ago, so there wasn't panic, as those who knew what they were explained what was happening to those who didn't.

In the Great Hall, Harry and his friends sat down next to Neville, who had gotten there just before them.

"So, you decided to come back, then?" Ron asked Neville.

"Yeah. Considering how much time I spend in the Room of Requirement last year, I didn't really learn much." Neville shrugged. The rest of the group nodded.

Before the conversation could continue, a bang sounded from the back of the room as the doors swung open, revealing Professor Flitwick and a group of first-years. At the sound, a number of the older students had jumped to their feet, wands out. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had reached for their wands but stayed seated. Once everyone calmed back down and took their seats, Flitwick advanced to the front of the hall and the sorting hat sang and then sent each student to their respective house. Professor McGonagall spoke about the need for unity and the chance to rebuild together and then food was served. Harry and his friends enjoyed the meal and dessert and then headed up to Gryffindor Tower. Seamus and Dean had also returned, so Harry's dormitory was the same as it had always been and they all went to sleep, ready to finally return to a little sense of normalcy.

The first week of classes went by with relatively little excitement. Hermione and Ginny avoided the bathrooms, as there seemed to be a flu going around. Madam Pomfrey was busy with the sick students. Loud noises still set the older students into moments of panic but as life developed into a steady pace, even those began to subside.

As the group sat eating breakfast on Saturday, a flurry of owls came through the windows, as they did every morning. It seemed like there were more this year, as families seemed hesitant to separate. A dark brown one landed in front of Ginny. She detached the letter from his foot, gave him a piece of her crust, and he flew off again, heading to the owlry. She opened it and began reading.

"I can't believe how much homework we have already," Ron was complaining. "I mean, we just saved the world and now they are trying to kill us in a massive pile of homework. I swear, I could be buried alive in the workload!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to come back Ron. You could have been an Auror. Or I'm sure you could have found something else! You wanted to come back to Hogwarts and…"

Her rant was interrupted by a scream from Ginny. Harry reached for his wand but didn't quite make it. Ginny had him wrapped up in a hug before he could even grasp the piece of wood.

"Fleur is pregnant!" Ginny squealed. "Bill and Fleur are going to have a baby!"

Hermione grabbed the letter that Ginny had let drop while Harry and Ron looked on, dumbfounded. Her eyes scanned the words quickly. "It says she is due March 12. Oh how exciting!" She slipped her hand into Ron's and leaned on him. "Finally something to celebrate!"

"Hey. What about my birthday? We celebrated that! And Ginny's birthday? She turned 17 last month? Finally had the trace lifted! We celebrated that!" Harry said in mock indignation. He laughed when Ginny hit his chest. "Just kidding. That's great!" Harry thought about his godson, Teddy. He had shared custody of the boy with his grandmother. While Harry was in school, she was taking care of him. He had agreed to take Teddy on his breaks to provide her with a break. Andromeda Tonks loved the boy but she was aging rapidly and taking care of an infant was tiring. Still, that little boy had provided her with hope and every time Harry saw him, he couldn't help but smile. Another baby in the family might be just what everyone needed to move on.

That night, they went down to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid was still teaching the first year of Care of Magical Creatures but he had relinquished the more advanced classes to Charlie so that he could help to repair the damage the Death Eaters had done to the Black Forest and so he and Grawp could spend time together.

"Harry! Ron! Girls!" Hagrid exclaimed. He had tea and his signature scones on the table. After some small talk while Harry and his friends pretended to eat the rock-like scones, Hagrid dropped some news on them.

"Did you guys hear? They finally figured out Defense Against the Dark Arts." None of the students had taken a DADA class during the first week, as Professor McGonagall was still figuring out what to do about the class. "Yeah. They're hirin' Dedalus Diggle! Can ya believe it! Diggle, a professor at Hogwarts!" Hagrid began laughing.

"Really? Diggle? He was one of the advanced guard stationed with the Dursleys. He's always been a bit of a funny fellow." Harry joined Hagrid, laughing.

"Is he qualified?" Hermione worried.

"Well," Hagrid finally pulled himself together to say, "he was part of the Order during the war. Like 'Arry said, he protected the Dursley, the gits, while Voldemort was in power, not that they deserved it." Hagrid had never liked Harry's aunt and uncle. "But yeah, he's qualified. Plus, I 'eard they were goin' to be invitin' people to teach the class, like guest professors. They are goin' to use this year as a kind of history lesson, using the war as a study in defense. I wouldn't be surprised if they asked you lot to speak." Harry certainly hoped not. He wasn't sure if he was ready to tell his story yet again.

That night, Harry couldn't sleep. The idea that they would all have to relive the war had his stomach in knots. He went down to the common room and sat staring into the fire. Images of the battle flashed in front of his eyes. All the times he had faced Voldemort over the last seven years were burned in his mind. The faces of everyone who had died stared out at him from the embers of the fire. At some point, he finally fell asleep on the common room couch, the images in the fire permeating his mind.

A few hours later, he woke up screaming.


	3. Chapter 2: The Nightmares

**Chapter 2**

**The Nightmares**

**September**

Ginny was on her knees next to Harry as he lay screaming. She had been trying to wake him. As he concentrated on slowing his breathing and returning his heart rate to normal, he stared at her, using her face as his anchor to the present, pulling himself out of the terrifying images of the past..

"Is it happening again?" He nodded. He hadn't had a nightmare since returning to Hogwarts but he had suffered from that all summer. The first time Ginny had discovered him, screaming in his sleep was back in June, a little over a month after the final battle.

**x-X-x**

_ "Harry! Harry, wake up!" Ginny shook him, trying to pull him out of his terror state. She had been having nightmares for months and could only imagine what Harry had been going through. She had faced the Carrows but he had faced Voldemort himself. "Harry, come on, wake up!"_

_ He finally opened his eyes and stopped screaming. Harry had been staying in Bill's old room, as he and Fleur had remained at Shell Cottage after the war ended. The room was just one floor up from Ginny's and she had heard him screaming in his sleep. When she got there, he had been thrashing his body across the bed and there were tears streaming down his face. He kept screaming "I'm sorry, I know, I'm so sorry." When she finally woke him up, she didn't know what to do to comfort him._

_ "Harry?" she whispered._

_ "Ginny," he whispered back._

_ After the final battle, she and Harry had reunited but things were still awkward. She knew he loved her and she understood why he had had to leave her during the last year but it still hurt. Harry, for his part, knew Ginny loved him but he couldn't release himself from the guilt he felt for all the deaths that their side, and Ginny's family, had suffered. He couldn't understand how she forgave him._

_ He pulled her into his arms as she crawled into bed with him. "Did I wake you?" he asked._

_ "No, I was already awake. I don't think I would have heard you otherwise. I don't think you woke anyone else up." She knew he was worried about the rest of her family. He would hate to think he had disrupted their sleep as it was one of the first nights that George and Mrs. Weasley had actually managed to fall into a deep, unperturbed sleep. "You weren't screaming loudly. Are you okay though?"_

_ "Yeah. I'm fine now that you are here."_

_ "Were you dreaming about those we lost?"_

_ "How did you know?"_

_ "You kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.' in your sleep."_

_ "I know. Sometimes I can get a full night's sleep but it seems like most nights are interrupted with these terrible dreams. I had hoped they would end once Voldemort's attachment to my soul was severed. But now, I have my own nightmares. Turns out I didn't need his nightmares. I have my own." Harry closed his eyes to block out the images he couldn't seem to stop._

_ Ginny leaned over and kissed him. "Harry, it's not your fault." She kissed him again, slowly trailing kisses down his neck. "I might know a way we can banish those images from your head." She looked up at him and smiled._

_ "Ginny? Are you sure? We just got back together."_

_ "No, we were never really apart. You may have broken up with me to protect me but we were always together. And yes, I'm sure. I have my own nightmares to banish and one in particular has you lying dead in Hagrid's arms. I want to feel you, alive and here with me."_

_ "Ginny, I'm so sorry…" Harry started to apologize._

_ "No, no apologies. We won. Now, we can celebrate. Forget everything else. Right now, it is just the two of us."_

_ Harry leaned down and kissed her. He really did love her. He reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his wand – he never kept it very far out of reach – and cast a quick contraceptive spell. Then he began unbuttoning the top of her nightshirt. She looked up at him with a glint in her eye and began to help him with his shirt._

_ When the sun finally rose the next morning, she quietly kissed him and snuck back down to her room. No reason to upset the family. But from that night on, any time either one of them had nightmares, they found solace in each other and slowly, but surely, the nightmares receded into the dark._

**x-X-x**

"Harry I have an idea. Come with me." Ginny pulled him out of the portrait hole and along the castle corridors. When they came upon the hallway outside the room of requirement, Harry smiled at Ginny.

"Ah, an excellent idea if I do say so myself!" Together, they walked through the door that appeared and Harry knew he wouldn't have any more nightmares tonight.

The next morning, when Ron caught Harry and Ginny coming through the portrait hole in their pajamas, Harry panicked. Ginny, however, just grabbed his hand.

"Hey Ron."

"And what may I ask were you two doing?" Ron seethed.

"Oh, I was having nightmares so I was in the common room when Harry woke up. He offered to go for a walk with me to try and shake the images out of my head." Harry couldn't believe how smooth she handled lying to Ron. Good thing too, since he was rather partial to all his body parts and he knew if Ron knew what they had been doing, he would be missing a few.

On Tuesday, when the seventh years walked into DADA for the first time, Professor Diggle stood in the front of the room, waiting for them.

"Take a seat, take a seat." He practically bounced in excitement. Harry still remembered the one time he had met Diggle before he knew he was a wizard. His personality hadn't seemed to change. "I can't wait to get started."

Once everyone was seated, Diggle clapped his hands, his excitement showing through. "Okay, let's get started. For you guys, we have something a little different planned. You guys have already battled the Dark Arts as much as anyone who could teach this course so we are going to have a little fun. I want each of you to think about what you believe is the most useful lesson a witch or wizard can have about fighting the dark arts. Then, you are going to teach it. I know all about your Dumbledore's Army." Diggle winked at Harry. "Each lesson will have a different professor! Every once and a while I might have whoever is speaking to the other classes speak to you as well but I don't really think we need to relieve the war here. I do know that when Minister Kingsley comes, he has asked to speak with you as well about how the Ministry is rebuilding their defenses against the Dark Arts. Now, who has some ideas about what they want to teach the class?" With that, Diggle took a deep breath and smiled. He was still bouncy with excitement and it was beginning to become infectious. For the rest of the class, the students went around, coming up with all kinds of ideas that they could teach each other. Harry's fears that he would be forced to relieve some of his worst days were alleviated and his was actually excited for this class again.

The rest of the month continued in a similar fashion. Harry had actually grown to look forward to DADA, even though Diggle was a little overwhelming and still had a little hero-worship for Harry. Ron and Hermione could be caught sneaking around at all times. Harry smiled, thinking about how happy they were together. Those years of tension between them had been excruciating.

Harry, who had been made Quidditch Captain again, held try-outs and was pleased when both Ron and Ginny made the team. They had played great. The team practices were getting intense as they approached their match with Slytherin, set to happen at the beginning of October.

Their workloads were growing daily, as professors were already discussing N.E.W.T.s. After long days of class and homework, Harry and Ginny found that they often headed to the room of requirement for the night. So far, they had managed to avoid being caught by Ron and he hadn't noticed that Harry wasn't in their dormitory during the night. And it helped keep the nightmares away for both Harry and Ginny.

Near the end of the month, Ginny finally caught the flu that seemed to have been going around for weeks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione managed to avoid it. Harry felt terrible every time she bolted out of the room to get sick but she refused to see Madame Pomfrey.

As autumn settled over Hogwarts, Harry sensed October might not be as easy as September. Maybe it was the fact that he had never had a simple year at Hogwarts or maybe it was some kind of premonition but he knew September had been way too easy.


	4. Chapter 3: Life-Changing News

**Chapter 3**

**Life-Changing News**

**October**

October dawned over Hogwarts in a flurry of red and orange leaves. As the first weekend approached, excitement grew to a fever pitch for the Gryffindor-Slytherin quidditch game. Despite the insane workload the seventh years faced, Harry had his team practicing every night in the week leading up to the game. Finally, as they all landed on Thursday after a particularly grueling practice where Harry had made them practice increasingly difficult maneuvers repeatedly until they could do them in their sleep, he called the team together.

"You guys have done great! I don't think we can be any more ready for Slytherin. Take tomorrow off." At this, a small cheer went up around the group. They were exhausted. In addition to Harry, Ron, and Ginny, Dean had also made the team, adding yet another seventh year. Besides that, there were also two fifth years, suffering through the O.W.L. workload and a fourth year who, despite not having quite as overwhelming amounts of homework, was nonetheless running on fumes as the practice was called to an end.

"Haha. Yes, I know. I've been rough on you. But now, we have done absolutely everything we can do and I'm sure we are going to win! So tomorrow night, I want you guys to relax and go to bed early. Get a full night's rest!" Harry grinned around at his team. He knew they were ready!

After everyone had changed and headed back to the castle, Ginny and Harry were the only two left. They headed out in to the night, meandering slowly towards the castle doors, relishing their time alone. It was true that they spent many nights together in the Room of Requirement, but those were becoming harder to come by as the term became more and more stressful. Plus, they didn't want Ron to catch on. One permanent scar on Harry's face was more than enough! Instead, they were forced to find time in the crowded common room or throughout the castle, where finding ways to separate from Harry's constantly present fans was never easy. And as much as Harry hated having "fans," Ginny hated it even more. He was hers and not only did they seek to change that (a goal she knew they would never succeed at) but they also interrupted her precious time with him.

Further complicating matters was the flu bug that Ginny just couldn't seem to shake. Although, she was pretty sure it actually wasn't the flu. After all, she wasn't sick all the time and most of the time she felt just fine. It was most likely nerves for the upcoming game, which could be a big jumping off platform for getting noticed by the professional teams, and the stress of being a N.E.W.T. student. She certainly wasn't the only one still getting sick. The bathroom was becoming notorious for having at least one girl getting ill in it all day long!

Once Harry and Ginny reached the castle, they sped up. As much as they wanted to be alone, they had mounds of homework waiting for them and it would be a long night.

Saturday morning was bright, with a slight nip to the air. Harry thought it was pretty good Quidditch weather, although they would have to be careful to keep the sun out of their eyes during the game. As the team gathered in the Gryffindor changing rooms after breakfast, Harry bounced around nervously. Sure, he had been captain once before but this was a new team and he really wanted to show that he had gathered the best.

Ginny was the last to come out of the bathroom and join the team around the lockers. Harry thought she looked a little green but when he sent her an inquisitory glance, she nodded and smiled. Nerves, he figured. He had already given what he thought was a pretty good pep talk on Thursday so he kept his pre-game talk short and sweet.

"Okay guys. Let's do this! We all know what we are doing out there so let's go out and win it!" With that, he headed out to the stadium and met Madame Hooch and the Slytherin captain at the center of the pitch to shake hands.

Once his team was in the air, he knew everything was just right. They played like they had a single brain, working effortlessly together. Slytherin fought hard, as they always did versus Gryffindor (and maybe a little dirty too – this was Slytherin v Gryffindor after all), but they were no match for Harry's crew. They were up 140-30 when Harry caught the snitch, ending the game at 290-30.

"Celebration in the Gryffindor common room" came a yell from the stands as Harry and his team hugged each other and headed to the locker room to shower and change. They had a celebration in their honor to be getting to.

In the week following the Gryffindor-Slytherin game, talk quickly switched to the upcoming Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw match, now just a month away. People were guessing at which team might show enough promise to give Gryffindor a run for the Quidditch Cup. However, Ginny wasn't really paying attention to all the betting and figuring surrounding the speculation. The stress was really starting to get to her. She figured once the first match of the season was over and Gryffindor quidditch practice eased up, she would calm down. Instead, she still spent time every day in the bathroom getting sick. On top of that, she found herself taking naps whenever she had a spare minute, desperate to get her energy level back up. Finally, after another full week of this, Hermione managed to convince her to see Madame Pomfrey.

Ginny agreed but only on one condition. Hermione couldn't say anything to Harry. She had so far managed to keep him from getting too worried about her and she didn't want to change that. He was just as stressed as she was, although he was basking in the glow of the quidditch victory a little more than her, as he didn't keep getting sick! So maybe he was a little less stressed.

On Tuesday, just over a week after the game, Ginny headed out of the common room, telling Harry she needed to check the library for a book for her Arithmancy essay. She headed down to the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey bustled over.

"What's the problem?" Madame Pomfrey asked, a smile on her face.

"Oh, it's nothing really," Ginny hedged. "It's just that I was hoping you could give me a calming draught or something. I think I'm just over stressed between classes, quidditch, trying to be with my boyfriend, mourning everyone we lost in May. I think I caught the flu that was going around and now I can't quite shake it, probably because of the stress. I keep getting sick and I'm exhausted!"

Madame Pomfrey glanced around and had Ginny follow her to a bed. The wing was empty at the moment, for which Ginny was grateful. She hated being seen by healers but if she had to, she would rather it be private. Plus, then it was less likely that Harry would find out when someone went gossiping around about "The Savior's Girlfriend." After she sat on the bed, though, Madame Pomfrey did not head off to get her a calming draught. Instead, she sat in a chair by the bed and summoned a clipboard.

"I don't want to give you a calming draught until we know what's wrong." She glanced at the papers on the board. "I'm just going to ask a few questions and try to figure it out. For starters, is there anything else wrong besides feeling ill and tired?"

Ginny thought about it. "No, not really," she said.

"Great. Okay, so when did you start getting sick?"

"A few weeks ago. Sometime around the end of September. I don't remember exactly."

"And when was your last period"

Ginny really had to think about that one. She was always irregular and never kept very good track. "Probably about five weeks ago. But it was really light, almost nonexistent. Probably because of stress. It's always been irregular and it has been really off since my brother died…" Her sentence dropped off a little at the end. Her family was moving on but Fred's loss would always be with them and there were still moments that the loss felt as fresh as the day of the Battle of Hogwarts.

"And are you sexually active?" Madame Pomfrey asked in a matter-of-fact tone. Ginny blushed deeply, her skin matching her hair all the way down her cheeks and around her neck.

She looked away and said "Yeah. For about four months or so now." She kept her eyes averted, not wanted to see Madame Pomfrey's face. _Where were these questions coming from? _Ginny thought. However, when Madame Pomfrey spoke again, she didn't have any sign of judgment in her voice.

"Okay. And you haven't had a fever or anything like that?"

"No, I don't think so," Ginny responded.

"Okay. I want to run a test, see if I can figure out why you are sick and tired." She headed over to her office and returned a few minutes later with a small, clear vial, full of a clear liquid. "Okay, Ms. Weasley, I'm just going to prick your finger really quick and get a few drops of blood." Madame Pomfrey whipped out her wand, did a miniscule wave, puncturing the skin on Ginny's right pointer finger. A few drops of blood leaked out and Madame Pomfrey held Ginny's hand over the vial so they fell into the liquid. Then, she jerked her wand again and the cut sealed up, already healed over. Madame Pomfrey swirled the vial a little. "Okay, this will take just a few minutes. I'll be right back." With that, she headed back to her office, leaving Ginny alone in the room.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Madame Pomfrey came back out and sat down next to Ginny again. "Well, it's not stress." Ginny looked surprised. She had been sure, given everything going on, that it was stress.

"Then why am I so sick?"

"Well, honey," Madame Pomfrey began slowly. Ginny cringed a little. Madame Pomfrey was a stern woman and her use of the word honey could not be good. "I know this is going to be a bit of a shock, but you are pregnant." With that, Ginny, fainted back on the bed, sure she must have heard wrong. When she came back to, Madame Pomfrey slowly helped her sit back up.

"But I can't be. I mean, I know it's been five weeks but that is nothing. I haven't missed a period. I just can't be. And my boyfriend and I have been careful. I can't be." The more Ginny protested, though, the more she wondered if she was. After all, Harry and she had gotten carried away a few times. Plus, why would Madame Pomfrey lie?

"Well, only abstinence is foolproof." Madame Pomfrey responded. "And I can assure you, the test I ran is accurate. Now, if you want to lie back down, I can run one more test to figure out how far along you are." Ginny laid down, still in a daze, while Madame Pomfrey waved her wand in a complicated motion over Ginny's stomach. "It looks like you are about nine weeks along."

"But how can that be? I haven't missed two cycles yet?"

"Actually you have. You said your last period was really light?" Ginny nodded. "That probably wasn't a true period, just some bleeding as your body adjusted to being pregnant."

"Oh." As Ginny sat there, slowly coming out of her daze and wondering why she hadn't realized what was happening all along, Madame Pomfrey talked to her about how to stay healthy, when the nausea might go away and what to expect over the next few months. Finally, she set up another appointment for Ginny to come see her.

Before Ginny left, Madame Pomfrey placed her arm on Ginny's shoulder and said, "Don't fret about it yet, honey. Give yourself time to come to terms with this. It's a big change. And tell your boyfriend. He deserves to know. But don't fret. You are not alone. This actually seems to be a common problem this year." With that, Ginny left, trying to wrap her mind around what she had just found out. In the back of her mind, she also finally realized why the girl's bathroom always seemed to have someone sick in it. Apparently Ginny and Harry were not the only ones who had gotten carried away after the war ended.


	5. Chapter 4: Ginny's Announcement

**A/N: I wanted to thank my first reviewers! Keep them coming! The good, the bad, the ugly, I want to hear them! And the great, you know, its always good to hear the great too! :)**

**Now, back to the story, where I can torture you with the suspense of waiting to find out what happens to our favorite couple. I did warn you that nothing can ever be easy for Harry. :) Its right there in the summary!**

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**Chapter 4**

**Ginny's Announcement**

**October**

Over the next few days, Harry worried about Ginny. She seemed so distracted. Plus, she was always tired. He was really worried that the stress was getting to her. One time, when he suggested she see Madame Pomfrey, she just laughed a little and shook her head, and then went back to working on the essay she was desperately trying to finish.

That weekend though, was a Hogsmeade weekend and Harry was looking forward to getting Ginny out of the castle and away from their coursework. Gryffindor didn't have another quidditch match until March so he had given his team a couple of weeks off after beating Slytherin. They had a sunny, crisp, Fall day to enjoy the fresh air in the village, and Harry was not letting it go to waste!

After breakfast, of which Ginny ate very little, Harry put his arm around her and headed out of the castle, with Ron and Hermione, hand in hand, right behind them. After being cleared by Filtch, the foursome wandered slowly towards the village, planning on stopping at Honeydukes before heading to the Three Broomsticks for a drink. Harry and Ron left Honeydukes with considerably lighter money bags, while Hermione bought a few things and Ginny bought a pack of sugar quills, immediately opening it up and slowly beginning to suck on one.

When they entered the Three Broomsticks, they found it as crowded as it always was when Hogwarts' students were in town. While looking for a table, they heard their names.

"Ron, Ginny. Harry, Hermione." They turned and saw George waving to them from near the back of the room. As they approached the table, they saw Angelina Johnson sitting with him. "Join us. We were hoping to run into you." George was speaking quickly, urging them to sit, while Angelina looked a little nervous.

"Oh we don't want to interrupt." Ginny said.

"No, I insist. We wanted to talk to you guys," George said.

The four pulled up chairs to the table and sat down, with an awkward silence descending. Hermione was the first to break it. "So what brings you guys to Hogsmeade? And how have you been, Angelina?"

"I've been pretty good," Angelina said softly. The group hadn't seen her since Fred's funeral. The two had been dating and she seemed to take his death pretty hard. When she didn't elaborate, George started talking. Harry wondered when George and Angelina had started hanging out.

"We wanted to catch up with you guys, so we popped over for the Hogsmeade weekend. It was short notice, or we would have sent an owl. How is N.E.W.T. year? I remember it was super stressful, although that could have been Umbridge. Most of our year had breakdowns. Not Fred or I, mind you, we just went with the flow. Plus, we never did finish did we?"

Harry was happy to see George mention Fred without incident. He knew George would always have a gaping hole where his twin should be but it was good to see that life was going on in spite of it.

Hermione, ever eager to discuss school, started rambling about the stresses of N.E.W.T. level courses and how a lot of people seemed to be so stressed that were getting ill because of it. "And it's only October! Imagine how it will be in May!" Ginny shifted uncomfortably at this but didn't say anything so Harry dismissed it.

After Hermione slowed down, George offered up some family news. "Did you guys hear? Percy got a promotion within the Department for International Magical Cooperation. He is now an ambassador to other magical nations. Apparently he is heading a task force to help other countries fight off the Dark Arts. As he puts it," George switched to a pretentious voice, "'it is up to us to help the world in its time of need. We must teach them what we have learned. We must lead the way and all join together.' I actually suggest you not mention it if you see him. He gets all high and mighty about it. Won't shut up."

Ron laughed while everyone else smiled at the thought of Percy, representing the Ministry around the world. It was a hoot! Conversation continued as the afternoon wore on.

Around 1, after noticing that Angelina had been quiet for a while, George reached over and grabbed her hand. The group quieted at this, although Ron, tactless as ever, blurted out "So, are you guys seeing each other now?"

George cleared his throat while Angelina looked down. "Not exactly. It's actually why we wanted to come see you guys today. We went and saw Mum and Dad last week and have been making the rounds of the rest of the family. Angelina and I aren't seeing each other really. We are just helping each other through a tough time. See, she showed up on my doorstep back, near the end of July, right before Harry's birthday party actually. I was still pretty much consumed with grief but she helped me out of it. Cuz you see, she has shown me that I'm not alone and I have helped her realize the same thing. Guys, Angelina is pregnant." George took a deep breath and looked around at his family, Hermione and Harry just as much a part of the revelation as Ginny as Ron. Ginny sat, a glass of pumpkin juice halfway to her mouth, eyes widened in shock. Hermione and Harry had mouths agape.

"Blimey, George, didn't Dad teach you anything when he gave you "The Talk"?" Ron used finger quotes as he said this. "Dude, there are ways to prevent that!"

"No," George said slowly, "you guys don't get it. I'm not the father. Fred is." He let this sink in.

Hermione, ever one to catch on quickly, said, "But that was five, almost six months ago!"

Angelina finally looked up and around at the group. "Yeah. I'm six months along. I'm sorry I never told you guys before. Never told anyone in your family but George. I was just so scared. And I missed Fred so much. I didn't know what to do. So I finally got up the courage and told George and we have been muddling along together. He is great and it is really this baby who has brought us both back to the land of the living. We have a little piece of Fred with us and I know he is watching over everything. He probably thinks it is hilarious that George is dealing with this instead of him. Unplanned pregnancy, courtesy of Fred, foisted off on George." Angelina smiled ruefully. "But I want you guys to know. This baby is a part of your family. George is going to help. He needs this just as much as I do and we are both thankful for this. But we want your whole family to be a part of this." With that, she stopped talking and looked into the eyes of those at the table.

"Oh, Angelina, that's great." Hermione said, her eyes glistening a little and her voice full of support. "I'm happy for you and George. And for Fred too. He didn't really leave us. So, when are you due?"

"February 4. Best I can figure, I got pregnant right before the battle. Strange how things happen."

They talked for another hour or so and then the four students stood to leave. They hugged George and Angelina, commenting on her stomach, which was revealed when she stood up from the table. Ginny seemed transfixed by it. Harry figured it must be strange to know that last part of her brother was inside the rounded stomach. Then, they walked back up to the castle in time for dinner, chatting about the new developments and how great it was to see George and Angelina with something to hope for. Ginny, however, leaned into Harry as they walked but didn't join in the conversation.

Another week passed, as Harry began to be seriously worried about Ginny. She had skipped the last quidditch practice and was becoming more introverted. The one night when she had come to find him in the middle of the night and they had gone to the Room of Requirement to ease her nightmares, she had barely spoken. When they snuck back into the tower the next morning, she gave Harry a long hug and then went off to her dormitory. Harry, concerned about this, couldn't sleep and just sat in front of the fireplace, waiting for morning.

On Halloween morning, the castle awoke to a festive atmosphere, as everything had been decorated for the Halloween Feast that night. However, at breakfast, the cheer was suddenly dampened when student's received their Daily Prophets. Hermione, who was the only one of the four to subscribe, opened it up and spit out her cereal.

"You guys, look." She laid the paper across the table between them. On the front page was an image of a destroyed home with the dark mark over it. Above it, the title read "Death Eaters Kill Family and Strike Fear Into Wizarding Community. Hermione scanned the page. "Oh no. It looks like some Death Eaters still at large killed a two year old and his mum and dad. Oh how sad. I really hoped this was over."

"Does it say who did it?" Harry asked, looking over at Ginny, who had tears in her eyes.

"No, they don't know for sure. But they left the dark mark, so it was definitely some of Voldemort's old followers."

Over the course of the day, word of the attack spread. Fear seeped through the halls.

"Maybe You-Know-Who is still alive"

"I mean, he came back once before when everyone thought he was dead."

"Do you think they are after muggle borns again?"

"Do you think Hogwarts is a target?"

Questions lingered on the lips of many students as they passed through the corridors between classes. Several times throughout the afternoon, students would corner Harry and interrogate him about Voldemort's death. Harry would slowly reassure them that, no Voldemort had not come back, yes he was gone for good, and that this was just the work of some Dark wizards who the ministry hadn't caught yet. A couple times, Harry found himself questioning his decision to come back to school rather than join the Aurors. Maybe he could have done something, caught the ones who did this before they had the chance.

The murmured questions had not died down by the time the Halloween Feast started. Ron and Hermione had gone down a few minutes before him. Harry figured they were taking the long way down, using the privacy of the secret passages few knew about to get in a healthy dose of snogging. Harry had been waiting for Ginny before heading down. She had disappeared after breakfast and he hadn't seen her all day. He waited around for 10 minutes but after she didn't show up, he figured she was already down there. The last thing he wanted was to be late entering the feast and have all eyes on him as he walked to the Gryffindor table. Seriously, fame sucked.

When he got to the Great Hall, he was once again amazed at the sheer mass of decorations. No matter how many times he saw them, the massive pumpkins and the bats and everything else never failed to impress. However, his fascination with the ambience of the hall faded quickly when he found Hermione and Ron, but not Ginny.

"You guys seen Ginny?" He asked, sitting down across from them.

"Not since breakfast."

"Nope. You have a fight with my sister. Cuz I swear Potter, you hurt her and I don't care if you are my best mate."

"Calm down Ron. I just haven't seen her since breakfast either. She seemed really upset by the news about the Death Eater attack but so was everyone. I figured she managed to sneak off and was avoiding me since everyone keeps harassing me about it. Don't really blame her. I hate it! But she would never miss the Halloween Feast."

"Harry, maybe you should go look for her. She hasn't been feeling well lately. Maybe she fell asleep in the library." Hermione suggested.

Nodding, Harry got up and headed back out of the hall. As he passed the Ravenclaw table, Luna came rushing over to him. He hadn't seen her much this term. All the seventh years had been swamped but he felt bad that he hadn't made a bigger effort to catch up with her. Still, he didn't really want to play catch up now, not when he needed to find Ginny.

"Hey Luna. Listen, I don't really have time to talk right now. I can't find Ginny and I'm worried about her."

"No Harry, that's why I came over. I really think you should find her. You should take better care of her, you know. I think the wackspurts might have gotten to her. They are attracted to red hair you know."

Harry managed to keep from rolling his eyes. Normally he appreciated Luna's crazy beliefs but right now, he wanted to find Ginny and get back to the Feast. "Luna!" He said loudly to snap her out of her train of thought.

"Oh, right," she said, her eyes focusing back in on Harry. "It's just that I saw her a few minutes ago, up on the seventh floor. Her eyes were all puffy like she had been crying, or like maybe a Snorkhead attacked her." At this Harry struggled to keep himself in check but it was hard. "She told me not to worry but I didn't believe her. She said she just wanted to find somewhere safe. She keep repeating 'somewhere safe.' I think he brain might be mettled. I bet it's the wackspurts. Anyway, I figured you should know. She looked really upset. If you want, I can tell you how to separate a wackspurt from a redhead."

"No thanks Luna. I'm going to find her. I'm sure she is fine. If its wackspurts, we will come find you." With that, Luna smiled and bounced away, while Harry rushed from the hall, sure of only one place that Ginny would go to feel safe.

Harry reached the seventh floor corridor and walked past the wall three times, concentrating on what he wanted. When the door appeared in the wall, he rushed into the Room of Requirement, and sure enough, Ginny was sitting in a comfy chair, curled in a ball, arms wrapped around her middle and tear stains down her cheek. Still, Harry didn't think she had ever looked more beautiful.

"Oh Ginny, what's wrong?"

Ginny looked up, as if suddenly realizing that Harry was in the room. But she just shook her head.

"Come on. Tell me what is wrong," Harry urged. He pulled another comfy chair over so that it was right in front of hers and sat down, reaching forward to put his hands on her knees. "What has you so upset. Is it Fred? Did the attacks today make you think of Fred? Or Tonks?"

Ginny shook her head again.

"Honey, what is it?" Harry was worried about her. She had been upset for weeks and he didn't know what was wrong or how to help her and it was killing him.

Ginny took a few steadying breaths. Finally, she looked up at him and said, "That little boy. He was so little. And innocent. And his parents couldn't protect him. Harry, they couldn't save him. Harry, what if that happens to us? My parents couldn't save Fred. Colin's parents couldn't save him. And they could defend themselves. But that little boy couldn't. He was just a baby. Babies shouldn't have to die. They didn't do anything." With that, she broke down again.

Harry listened but didn't really get it. Yeah, it was horrible, but there is no way an unknown boy's death should have her in this state. All she did was confuse him even more. "I know Ginny," he ventured, hoping to find some way to calm her. "But I'm sure they will find the ones who did it, so they can't do it again. And Fred and Colin died protecting others from Voldemort. They didn't need to be saved because they died doing what they believed was right." Harry clung to this belief with everything he had. Otherwise, his guilt over the deaths back in May would overwhelm him. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, it overwhelmed no matter what he believed.

While he talked, Ginny stared into his eyes, using them as a lifeline to keep herself together, desperately looking for hope in what he was saying, knowing how she felt was irrational but unable to stop it.

"And, Ginny, I'm sure our kids will be fine. The Auror Office is working night and day to catch any remaining Death Eaters and I'm sure they will be all in Azkaban soon. By the time we have kids, they will be nothing but a past memory." Harry smiled reassuringly. But as he watched, her eyes welled up with tears again. Not knowing what else to do, he leaned forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

She cried into his shoulder for a few minutes before pulling away and wrapping her arms back around her middle. She seemed to have calmed down a little but still seemed distressed. "Ginny, what else is wrong? Why did that boy's death upset you so much? What was going on before that? Because you have been withdrawn for weeks. And you are really worrying me. You didn't even come to the last quidditch practice and that is not you. You love quidditch!"

Ginny's eyes watered again, but this time, she remained composed. Hoping to finally understand what had been going on for weeks, Harry held his breath.

"Oh Harry. Everything is wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I don't know what to do!"

"Just tell me what's wrong, Ginny"

"But Harry, you don't get it. I'm scared. Because I need to protect it! Our kid can't be hurt by the Death Eaters. And they are still at large. And I'm sure they would love to hurt you. And I can't lose you either! And most of all, I'm scared I can't protect either of you."

"Ginny, I don't understand. I'm safe at Hogwarts. When we are ready for kids, we will worry then. Right now, just know I'm safe and you don't need to worry."

"But Harry, I do worry. And I can't seem to stop. I'm out of control and I don't know how to stop it! My body isn't my own anymore." Ginny was nearly crying again, her voice shaking with emotion, emotion that Harry still didn't understand. He looked into her eyes, searching for answers. Finally, she closed her eyes and took a slow breath. Then she opened them and looked straight into his.

"I'm pregnant Harry."


	6. Chapter 5: The Hospital Wing

**Chapter 5**

**The Hospital Wing**

**November**

Harry's eyes widened in shock. Unable to comprehend, he stood up, ran his hand through his already messy black hair, turned and walked toward the door, as if on autopilot, no longer in control of his own movements. Ginny just sat there and watched him walk away.

But when he reached the door, he didn't open it. Instead he turned back to face her, leaned back against the wood and slid to the floor, his head in his hands. "Could you repeat that?" He asked quietly.

"I said I'm pregnant Harry."

"But how? We have been so careful."

"Oh, Harry. Not always. Don't you remember my birthday? We both had a little firewhiskey. Not enough to be wasted but we weren't thinking clearly. And I was so upset, realizing that Fred wasn't there to see me turn 17. And we sort of got carried away. I don't remember being careful that night. Do you?"

"No, not really. But Ginny, what are we going to do?" Harry looked lost as he looked up at her from the floor. Suddenly, his eyes went wide. "What are your brothers going to do to me?" He whispered.

"I don't know Harry. But my brothers aren't going to do anything. We did this together. Somehow, and I don't know how yet, but somehow, we will get through this together." At that, Harry got up and went over to her. She leaned into him when he sat next to her but they both stayed silent, staring ahead, wrapped up in their own thoughts and worries.

The next morning, Ron rolled over, and saw Harry asleep in his four-poster. He threw his pillow at his friend, jerking him awake.

"Oi, Harry!" Ron whispered, not wanting to wake up their dorm mates

Harry rolled over and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table. As he focused on Ron, he whispered back, "What? I was sleeping, in case you didn't notice!"

"Where were you last night? You and Ginny never showed up at the Halloween Feast and you didn't even show up by time Hermione and I went to bed? What were you doing?"

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "I found Ginny but it took me a while," he invented quickly, not ready for Ron to find out he had gotten Ginny pregnant, not ready for anyone to find out. "And then, she was really upset about Fred. Said he used to love Halloween, all the tricks and everything. So we just sat around and talked. I don't think she could have handled the feast and we must have lost track of time." Considering that he threw the lie together on the fly, Harry was pretty impressed with the results.

"Oh," Ron said quietly. "I hadn't thought of that." Ron turned to lie on his back. "Yeah, Fred and George always went nuts on Halloween. When Ginny was little, Fred used to set up traps for her all over the house." Ron lapsed into silence.

That morning at breakfast, Harry was just as distracted as Ginny. The sat next to each other, quietly eating whatever was on their plates. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, unsure of what was going on.

"Did you guys have a fight or something?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked up, his eyes slowly focusing on Hermione. "No, why?"

"Because you two gits are acting weird!" Ron supplied.

"Oh. Guess we just didn't get much sleep last night," Harry said, sticking with the same storyline he had come up with earlier for Ron.

"Oh. Okay. Yeah, Ginny, you must have come back really late last night. I didn't see you before I feel asleep. Were you sick again?" Hermione asked.

"No. No I wasn't sick. I was just out late with Harry."

"Okay. Well, I wanted to tell you guys something." Hermione's eyes lit up when she said this.

"Yeah? What did you want to tell us? Nothing bad, right? I don't think I can take bad news." Harry looked concerned.

"No. Not bad. I finally figured out what I want to do after Hogwarts!" Hermione was nearly bouncing in her seat.

Ron looked at his girlfriend, laughing a little at her obvious excitement. "Figures. You always were smarter than me. I still have no idea. So, what are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." At this, Ron rolled his eyes. Hermione ignored him and continued. "I want to continue S.P.E.W. The house elves fought alongside us during the Battle of Hogwarts but they still are no better than slaves as far as the ministry is concerned. We have liaison departments for centaurs and goblins but nothing for house elves. It's not right! And I want your help!"

Harry glanced at Ron, whose eyes had gone wide at the last statement. "Oh, Hermione, don't make us do that again. We didn't want to get involved last time, we don't want to this time. Plus, I think I'm going to join the Aurors. And we have homework. And quidditch."

"Plus, they like it! They don't want to be free." Ron added, exasperated.

Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously. "Fine, Ron. If that is how you feel, then why don't we just send you down to the kitchens and you can join them!" With that, Hermione picked up her bag and stormed off. Harry sighed. Ron and Hermione may be dating now but they still loved to argue. So now, he would have to face the day trying to bridge the gap between them and then, once they were finally talking again, he would have to suffer through a make-up snogging session. Why didn't Ron realize that what he felt when he saw Harry kiss Ginny is what Harry felt when those two went at it?

When Saturday morning rolled around, Harry met Ginny in the Gryffindor Common Room and they headed down together to the Dining Hall for Breakfast. Ron and Hermione had made up, exactly as Harry had predicted, ending with a long snogging session in front of the fire in the Common Room, and had since been inseparable. They had headed down to breakfast together a few minutes ago.

"You feeling all right?" Harry asked as they climb out of the portrait hole. He looked her over carefully. He still didn't really understand that his kid was inside her and he couldn't see any differences in her yet.

"Yeah. I'm actually feeling a lot better. I haven't been sick in two days! I thought that would never end. It was miserable." Ginny smiled weakly and took Harry's hand while they walked down to the Dining Hall.

When they got there, the atmosphere was festive. Today was the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw game and there was a lot of blue and yellow decking out the hall. There was a constant buzz of chatter surrounding the game.

Harry and Ginny sat across from Ron and Hermione, who pried their lips apart to say a quick "Good Morning" and then went back to what they were doing. Ginny, who finally was getting over her morning sickness, loaded her plate and dug in. Harry, on the other hand, wasn't really hungry. He was going to the match later, as he really needed to as Gryffindor's Captain, but his mind wasn't really on the game and he hoped his players were attending too so they could scout their own positions. Instead, Harry was distracted by what was going to happen after the game.

Last night, as Harry and Ginny sat in the Room of Requirement, she had tentatively broached the subject of the baby. They had retreated to their secret room several times since she had told him almost a week ago, but, despite the weight of the subject on them, they had yet to really talk about it. Harry loved Ginny and knew she felt the same about him, but the stress of their situation was pulling them apart so it was like it was back at the beginning of the summer, right after they had gotten back together. They had gotten so they weren't really comfortable together anymore. So when she brought up the baby, the tension between them was palpable.

"Harry, we need to talk. I need to know if you are okay with this. I mean, it's not what either of us wanted but it's happening." She looked into his eyes from her spot at the other end of the love seat they were currently sitting on.

Harry took a deep breath and looked back at her. "I don't know, Ginny. I really don't. You have had longer to wrap your mind around this. I have only had five days, five days full of classes and coursework and not a lot of time to think. So I don't know." He paused and took a small breath, holding it briefly before going on. "I know I'm not ready to be a father. I mean, my whole life had been about killing Voldemort and now that I finally have that yoke off my shoulders, I'm not ready to take on another. But I also know I don't have a choice. I mean, I'm already a godfather. When I told Remus yes, I never really thought he would die, let alone Tonks, but now Teddy is partly my responsibility. But at least his grandmother has him most the time. Plus, I know what Sirius meant to me, so I know what I want to be for Teddy. But a father? I never really had one of those, at least not when I can remember. I know nothing about it. I'm only 18. You're only 17! We are totally in over our heads."

Harry's eyes reflected the same fear Ginny had herself. And he was right. She had had weeks to adjust. But she needed him and she needed to know if she had him. "I'm not looking for answers right now Harry. We don't need to have everything worked out. I just want to know that you are with me, whatever is going to happen." At this, Ginny's eyes filled with tears. She laughed a little and said, "Damn hormones!"

At the sight of her tears, Harry immediately moved forward to take her in his arms. For a moment, everything was back to normal. "Ginny, of course I'm here with you. I love you. I'm just scared right now. I don't know what we will tell your family or how we will deal with this. But I'm here."

Ginny sighed, relaxing into his hold. "Good, because tomorrow I have an appointment with Madame Pomfrey and I want you to come. I want you there with me."

Harry stiffened a little and then relaxed again. "Sure. If you want me there, I'm there." He only wished he was as comfortable with the idea of going with her as his words stated.

Thus, as Harry finished his breakfast the next morning, his mind was not on the game but on the redhead sitting next to him, eating with gusto.

Five hours later, Harry found himself heading down to the hospital wing to meet Ginny. She had headed to the library after the quidditch match to get some work done, while he had went up to the common room. Hufflepuff had narrowly defeated Ravenclaw and Harry wanted to go over what he had seen. Despite his distraction, he had actually gotten a lot out of the game, as it was an exciting match. Ravenclaw had excellent chasers but the Hufflepuff seeker and beaters were something to be reckoned with.

However, now, as he headed down the corridors, his mind was no longer on the game. It was back on Ginny and the… well, back on Ginny and their situation. When he reached the Hospital Wing, she was waiting for him right outside the door. He smiled when he saw her, hiding the unease he felt, and took her hand. Together, they walked into the wing and found Madame Pomfrey waiting for them.

"Ms. Weasley. Mr. Potter." Madame Pomfrey nodded to both of them and indicated that they should follow her. They followed her down to the bed nearest her office. At the other end, a young boy, likely a first or second year was asleep, a bandage covering his arm. To give them privacy, Madame Pomfrey drew the curtains around the bed. "So, how have you been feeling?"

"Not bad. The nausea has subsided a bit in the last week or so and I'm not nearly as tired. Plus, I'm always hungry now. And I can't seem to get a deep breath. Is that normal?" Ginny sat down as the bed while Harry settled himself in a chair next to her head while she talked.

"That's all perfectly normal, dear. Now, Ms. Weasley, I assume Mr. Potter here is the father? And that you would like him to stay for this?" Ginny nodded so Madame Pomfrey continued. "That's fine. I believe last time we established that you were in your ninth week so you should be around thirteen now. You have entered your fourth month and are into the second trimester. So the nausea subsiding and the increase in hunger is normal. As is the shortness of breath. Now, I'm just going to run a few tests to ensure everything is normal and then we will take a look at the fetus."

Harry reached for Ginny's hand while Ginny nodded. Madame Pomfrey walked into her office and came out with a tray of potion vials, all containing different colored liquids. "Here, drink this," she said, indicating a dark blue potion. Ginny took it and swallowed it in one gulp, grimacing as it went down.

"That's nasty." Madame Pomfrey smiled and nodded.

"And then I need to get some of your blood for these three and then a piece of hair for this final one." She pulled out her wand while Ginny held out her finger and Madame Pomfrey created another little gash and the blood dripped into the three vials of potion. After her finger was healed, she reached up a pulled out a hair and handed to Madame Pomfrey, who dropped it into the last vial. "Now, I will be back in about five minutes, once I finish up with these tests." With that, she walked back over to her office and shut the door.

Harry and Ginny sat in silence as they waited, their hands never leaving the tight grasp together. When Madame Pomfrey finally came back out, Ginny squeezed Harry's hand but they remained quiet.

"Well, everything looks good so far. You seem to be healthy Ms. Weasley, so now we are going to check on the baby. Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit." Madame Pomfrey had Ginny lie back and lift her shirt up. Harry noticed that she had put on a little weight around her middle, although it still wasn't noticeable unless you really knew her body. Then Madame Pomfrey pulled out her wand again and this time made a complicated motion above Ginny's stomach, muttering softly while she whipped her wand. Suddenly, a light appeared above Ginny's stomach, projected from her belly button. As the light widened, an image appeared that slowly resolved itself into a very small baby. Above the image, a series of numbers were illuminated, which Madame Pomfrey copied down. Then, with another wave, a sound began to emanate from the image, like a fast paced drum.

"What is that?" Ginny asked quietly, her eyes fixed on the image in front of her. Her grip on Harry's hand had tightened in the last few minutes.

"That is the heartbeat, dear. It's your baby's heartbeat." Madame Pomfrey answered quickly.

"Wow." Ginny stared transfixed. For the first time, she finally seemed to come to terms with the baby and what was happening in their lives. She may be young, but that was her baby, a little piece of both her and Harry. And it was precious, even if it was unexpected.

"Well, it seems shy. Can't tell the sex. It's a little early anyway but sometimes, if we get just the right view, we can tell. Maybe next month. Think about whether or not you two will want to know if it's a boy or girl." With that, Madame Pomfrey waived her wand yet again, producing a small piece of paper. Then, with another wave, the image disappeared. "Here is a photograph of the image you saw," she said as she handed Ginny the picture. "Now, I want to see you one more time before Christmas break. And I want you to pick at least one of these books to read as well." She handed Ginny a sheet of paper from the clipboard, which Ginny took without looking, her eyes fixed on the image on the picture she had received. Madame Pomfrey left them alone, heading back into her office.

Ginny sat up and finally released Harry's hand, never taking her eyes off the picture of their baby. Harry, however, kept his eyes anywhere but the image. While Ginny had come to terms with their situation after seeing their baby, Harry had experienced something completely different. The image made everything seem real and he was completely overwhelmed. Sometimes, it felt like his life was just one joke after another. Seriously, he couldn't catch a break. Just when he finally defeated Voldemort and found love, life threw yet another curveball at him and he could just hear life laughing at his expense.

Harry stood up, turned away and put his hands in his pockets. Suddenly realizing that something was wrong, Ginny said his name quietly. When he turned to look at her, his eyes were full of regret. The joy and wonder that had filled her eyes moments before drained, replaced by a subtle wariness.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"I can't. Ginny, I just can't. That, that…" He paused, breathing quickly. "That was just scary. I mean, what are we supposed to do with that? Why us? What did we do wrong?" When Ginny gave him a sharp look, he cringed. "I mean, I know what we did but…" He faded away, unsure of how to explain what he was feeling to her.

"What do you mean 'but'? Harry, we did this and now we must face the consequences. And yes, it will be hard. But Harry, didn't you just hear that? That was _our_ baby's heart. _Our baby_. We created a miracle. This may not be a great time but this little boy or girl is ours and it's beautiful." Her eyes filled with tears. "I really get what Angelina and George were saying. We lost friends and family but now, we are bringing new life into the world. It gives me hope for the future, even if I'm still scared. I finally get it."

"I can't Ginny. I just can't right now. I still don't get it. It doesn't give me hope. It fills me with fear and frustration."

"Then you can just get out Harry. If our baby is a 'frustration' to you, then I don't want you anywhere near them." With that, Ginny fixed her top and stormed out of the hospital wing. The boy at the end of the wing was awoken by the slamming doors and turned to see Harry standing at the other end of the room. Harry ignored him and walked out, planning to find Ginny. However, when he couldn't find her in any of the usual places, he began to get angry. After leaving the Room of Requirement, the last place he checked, he growled in frustration. Fine, if she didn't want him involved then he wouldn't be. Let her deal with it. He wanted his life back, a life that hadn't been his own since he was a year old!


	7. Chapter 6: Harry, The Prat

**A/N: Ok, November seems to be an eventful month so I had to split it in three! The chapter was just getting WAY too long!**

**This story passed 200 visitors and is quickly approaching 1,000 views! But only 5 reviews? Come on, guys. Surely more of you have an opinion on the story. Is there anything confusing? Anything you don't like? I mean, I had no reaction to Ginny and Harry splitting! Really, that didn't bother anybody? Any suggestions. I've had a few (Blue Luver5000!) and they are helpful. **

**Also, I have the basic outline of the rest of the story, so don't worry, its not going anywhere. I'm having way too much fun writing it. I have the next chapter nearly done, finishing up November. However, after I post that one, there will be a short break (a week or so) so don't expect daily updates! I have my Master's Comp Exam in a week and I really should get around to studying. And, frankly, writing this story is more fun than studying so I'm going to have to force myself not to touch it while I study! But I will be back soon. And don't worry, I think you'll like the way the next chapter ends so I won't leave you in despair. **

**And now, onto the story!**

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**Chapter 6**

**Harry, The Prat**

**November**

Ginny had hidden in a classroom, wanting to avoid Harry. She sat there, crying for hours, until her stomach reminded her that it was dinnertime and that she was starving. She headed to the dining hall. Ron and Hermione were sitting near the front of the hall. She headed towards them until the crowd parted and she noticed Harry was sitting across from them. Eager to avoid him, she quietly took a seat near the other end of Gryffindor table and began to load her plate with food. She wanted to eat and get out of there quickly.

However, before she could get more than one bite in her mouth, Neville showed up, eager to talk.

"Hey, Ginny! What are you doing down here alone?" Neville sat across from her and began to load his own plate.

"Oh, just looking for some quiet," Ginny said around a mouthful of food.

"Oh, well, I can leave you alone. I just wanted to talk."

"It's fine Neville. What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, well, I just miss our times last year. You know, not the terrible times. But you, me, and Luna had some good times too. And now you are always with Harry and I miss it."

"I'm sorry Neville. We should hang out more."

"No, I like seeing you and Harry together." Ginny looked down at her plate but Neville didn't notice and continued. "Plus, I really just wanted your advice. I want what you and Harry have." Neville blushed and then added quietly, "And I want it with Luna."

"Oh Neville, that's great! What did you need advice on?"

"Well, I wanted to ask her to Hogsmeade next weekend. But I don't know how. I don't even know if she would want to go with me."

"Neville, I'm sure she wants to go. I saw how you guys were together this summer. Every time we got together, she only had eyes for you. And as to how to ask her, don't beat around the bush. Just go up to her and invite her. You have changed more than anyone I know. You have more courage than anyone else in Gryffindor House. Just use some of it and go ask her!"

Neville blushed at this. "Thanks Ginny. You know, you really are a great friend. I'm gonna go ask her right now!" He shoved the last bite of food from his plate into his mouth and headed over to the Ravenclaw table to find Luna. Ginny, despite everything she was going through, smiled. It was great to see Neville finally admit he liked Luna.

At the other end of the table, Harry was quietly eating his food, listening to Ron and Hermione talk about nothing. After a while, Hermione finally noticed Ginny sitting at the other end of the table but as she watched, Ginny pushed her plate away and got up, leaving the hall.

"Harry," Hermione asked quietly, "did something happen between you and Ginny?"

"Why?"

"Because she was down there eating by herself."

"She was? Where did she go?" Harry asked in spite of himself. He had to remind himself that she was the one who pushed him away.

"She left. But Harry, you haven't answered my question. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. We had a row. I don't know what's going on right now. But she told me to leave, said she didn't want me right now. And if she is going to be like that, then I'm not staying where I'm not wanted." Harry's frustration was clear in his voice.

"Dude! What did you do to my sister? I warned you. If you hurt her, I'm gonna kill you. And what's better is I won't have to do it alone. Charlie is here and he is even more protective than I am!" Ron was red faced. Thankfully, Charlie wasn't up at the staff table. In fact, Harry had not run into Charlie very often at all since the start of term, as he wasn't taking Care of Magical Creatures and he was being kept busy by his other N.E.W.T. courses and everything else going on.

"I didn't do anything, Ron! She told me to go. Not the other way around!" Harry fumed. Inside, he knew he was lying. He did do something wrong. He had knocked up Ron's sister. But right now, he was so mad, he wasn't about to admit it could be his fault. Instead, he got up and stormed out of the hall, heading up towards Gryffindor tower.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked Hermione. She just shook her head is confusion.

When Hermione arrived back in the seventh year girls dorm that evening, she found it empty except for Ginny, who was curled up on her bed.

"Ginny, I saw you at dinner. Harry said you two had a row. What happened?"

Ginny turned over and Hermione saw her face was streaked with tears, her eyes red and puffy. She had her arms wrapped around her middle, holding onto to herself tightly. "Hermione, I think we're through." Ginny burst into tears at this statement.

"Why? What happened? I know he is a git sometimes but surely you will get over it. Whatever he did wrong, it can't be that bad. You love him!"

Ginny sat up on the bed and looked around the room. Then she closed her eyes and took a breath. Without opening them, she slowly said, "Hermione, I'm pregnant."

At first, Hermione thought she had heard wrong. But when Ginny opened her eyes, she could see the truth in their depths. Along with a whole host of emotions she didn't even want to try to identify. "Oh, Ginny. That's why you were so sick for so long. I can't believe I didn't realize it before. Although, to be honest, I didn't think you and Harry were, you know, doing _that_." Hermione shook her head, eager to get the image out of her mind. "Ginny, tell me what happened? All of it. You've been going through this alone for weeks. I know. You've been off for weeks."

Ginny slowly told Hermione the entire story, from getting carried away on her birthday, to finding out and telling Harry, to the scene in the Hospital Wing this afternoon. Once she finished, she said, "And Hermione, if he can't see that this is a gift, then I don't want him. I'm not stupid. This is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done. But I won't make him help. I won't. Not when I have realized that this is a new life. After losing Fred, Tonks, and Remus, I realize how precious life is and now, this one is my responsibility. I will not let him or her down. Hermione," Ginny looked up with tears sparkling in her eyes, "I'm scared to death but I love this baby so much all ready."

"Oh, Ginny." Hermione went over to Ginny's bed to give her a hug. "Don't worry. I will help. So will Ron and your family. And don't give up on Harry yet. Sometimes he a bit of a prat. Give him some time. Remember how he flew off the handle the year after Sirius died. He went off at the drop of a hat. He just took a while to let us all back in. Boys are slow like that, Harry especially, not that Ron is much better…" Hermione smiled. Ginny returned it, feeling a little better. Then her eyes went wide.

"Oh no, we have to tell Ron! He'll know something is wrong. Oh he is going to kill Harry!" Ginny fretted.

Hermione put her hand on her shoulder. "We can tell Ron tomorrow, together. And don't worry. He won't kill Harry. I'll make sure of that. And Ginny?" Ginny looked up. "What about Charlie? He is here too. Should we tell him too?"

Ginny shook her head. "Not yet. I'm not showing yet and no one else knows. One brother at a time." Ginny sat there in silence for a while, grateful she had finally told Hermione. After a few minutes, she decided to change the subject. "Hey. Guess what Neville told me today at dinner!"

The next two weeks were some of the most miserable of all of Harry's time at Hogwarts. Sure, back in second year, the school had turned on him, thinking he was Slytherin's heir. But Ron and Hermione had stuck by him. Then in fourth year, the school had turned on him again, this time Ron too, because he was the extra Hogwarts' champion in the Triwizard Tournament. But Hermione had stood by him. Then in fifth year, most of the wizarding world thought he was nuts, but, once again, he still had Ron and Hermione. Now, though, he had no one. True, the school and the wizarding world was still ignorant of what he had done (for how much longer though he didn't know) but without Ron, Hermione, and now, most especially, Ginny, it didn't matter. He had never felt so alone in his life.

The day after Ginny sent him packing, Ron had shown up in their dormitory, where Harry was hiding, and, without a single word, punched Harry right in the face, his right fist connecting perfectly. Then he turned and left the room. Hermione had come up right after that to check on him. Once she saw he was still breathing, she said, "We told him he couldn't kill you. I just wanted to be sure he didn't." Then she also turned and left. Since that day, neither one had spoken a single word to him. Instead, they had stood behind Ginny. And frankly, Harry couldn't blame them. He would never forgive himself for what he had done to Ginny.

What made him feel even worse was when he had to replace Ginny as chaser. He had a decent replacement (Demelza Robins, who had been on the team two years ago but had come in fourth during tryouts). But everyone had assumed Ginny had quit the team because she and Harry had broken up. They thought she was being rather selfish and Harry couldn't correct them without blabbing the real reason, something that he didn't want to do without Ginny's consent. And so far, she was keeping quiet. So he suffered in silence, knowing he was the cause of even more pain for Ginny but unable to do anything about it. He was a coward but he couldn't seem to get past it.


	8. Chapter 7: The Defense Lesson

**A/N: I know the last chapter was painful. But come on, who remembers OotP? Harry can be a little selfish/whiny when things are difficult. I had to keep up with this character. He doesn't always think through what other people around him are going through... Don't worry though. Harry usually comes around and he is growing up. Maybe it won't take as long... or maybe you should just keep reading! And remember, I love REVIEWS!**

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**Chapter 7**

**The Defense Lesson**

**November**

As the last week of November approached, Harry found himself spending his free time in the library by himself. He was set to lead DADA next week and needed to prep his lesson, which was going to be on protective charms. Plus, the library allowed him to avoid Ginny, Ron, and Hermione.

Ginny had noticed that Harry was almost never in the common room, a fact that didn't really bother her. She already had to see him in class every day. She actually appreciated that he avoided her during the evenings. It made this horrible time a little less difficult. It was Sunday, and she was sitting at a table near the fire with Hermione. They were struggling to finish an essay on the properties of human figure-transformation potions. At her side, she had her box of sugar quills, which she had restocked at the last Hogsmeade weekend. It seemed she just couldn't get enough of these sweet treats!

As she was struggling through a particularly difficult paragraph, a second year came up to her, shyly clearing his throat to get her attention. She looked up. "Yeah?"

"You're Ginny Weasley, right?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Yeah."

"Professor McGonagall told me to give you this." He handed her a piece of parchment and scurried away. Ginny unrolled it and quickly read the message.

"Hmm," she muttered when Hermione looked at her inquisitively. "Seems like she wants to meet me tomorrow night. Wonder why."

"Don't know." Hermione thought for a moment, then went back to her essay.

The next morning, Ginny headed down to breakfast alone. Hermione was waiting for Ron, who was running late. When she got there, she didn't see Harry, for which she was grateful. She sat down alone but after a few minutes, Parvati Patil and Demelza Robins joined her. Since Parvati had returned to get her N.E.W.T.s and Demelza was in Ginny's year, they were all seventh years together, but, despite this, they didn't really hang out. Ginny thought they were a little too flighty. Plus, she had spent most her time this year with Harry, Ron, and Hermione… well, now just Ron and Hermione.

"Hey, Ginny, did you hear?" Parvati whispered conspiratorially across the table.

"Hear what?"

This time, Demelza piped up. She glanced at Parvati, then leaned across the table, keeping her voice low. "You haven't heard? Apparently one of the Ravenclaw sixth years is pregnant!" She smiled, pleased that she had gotten to share this tidbit with Ginny.

Ginny, however, was not nearly as pleased. Rather, she was nervous. Did anyone know about her? "What? Where did you hear that? How do you know?" she asked in rapid succession.

"Some of the Ravenclaw seventh years told me," Parvati supplied. "It took awhile but the sixth years in her dorm finally put it all together. Apparently she was sick for a while and now she is showing. From what I hear, she's pretty big, although her robes must still hide it, considering no one else has noticed!"

"Yeah. But the Ravenclaws aren't spilling who it is! But I guess it won't be hidden much longer. I mean, if she is showing, it's just a matter of time before the robes don't hide it anymore. I wonder what McGonagall's gonna do about it. I don't think I've ever heard about something like this at school before. Although, considering the school is really really old, there must be some precedent." Demelza looked around the Gryffindor table. "Maybe Hermione knows. Have you seen her?" She looked back to Ginny.

It took a second before Ginny realized she had just been asked a question. "Oh, um, yeah, I saw her earlier. Ron was running late so she was waiting for him."

"Oh." Parvati and Demelza continued to discuss the new gossip, seemingly including Ginny in their conversation but, luckily, talking quick enough that Ginny didn't have to participate. Good thing too, considering her thoughts were running mad in her head. She had noticed this morning that her pants barely closed and there was a slight curve to her stomach. Plus, she had had to use an engorgement charm on her bras. How much longer would she be able to keep it a secret? And what would happen when people realized Harry was the father, even if he was being a prat about it?

Ginny got through the day but she really wasn't sure how. She was so distracted, she had set fire to a wooden bucket they were using in Charms, despite the fact that she was supposed to be creating a mini-rainstorm over it. Luckily, she was working with Hermione, who managed to produce the rain and put it out before Flitwick had noticed. The last thing she needed was more homework because he noticed that she couldn't seem to master the charm.

That evening, Ginny headed to McGonagall's office after dinner. When she got there, McGonagall instructed her to shut the door and sit down.

"Ms. Weasley. I'm sure you are wondering why you are here and I'm sure you have more than enough work to be getting on with, so I'll just get straight to the point. Madame Pomfrey has informed me of your situation. I'm sorry about the break in privacy but, considering it's a school hospital wing, there are some different rules in place."

"Oh." Ginny didn't really know how to respond. Quietly, not quite looking at McGonagall, she asked, "You haven't told my brother, Charlie, have you?"

"No, Ms. Weasley, I haven't, although I expect he will find out eventually. But no. Madame Pomfrey is required to inform me of any events such as this – and I must say, this has been a busy year – but I will not spread the word. That is your responsibility. However, you and I must talk."

"I understand." Ginny looked up at McGonagall, perched behind her desk, and the portrait of Dumbledore sleeping (or at least pretending) behind her. "And thank you for not telling Charlie."

"You are welcome. Now, first things first. Technically, you do not have to answer this, but I just need to ask. Is Harry the father?" Ginny nodded slowly. "I figured as much, given how close you two had become. Now, obviously, given Harry's fame, should this fact be known, you will be subject to an undo amount of public interest. I just want you to prepare for that." She looked closely at Ginny.

"I know. I mean, I don't know what I'm going to do about that but I do know it's coming."

"Good. Okay. Next, how to handle this. As I'm sure you have realized, this is an unusual situation. It is true we have had students get pregnant in the past but, before now, it was rare and thus our policy was to send that student home to be homeschooled for the year. Then, they could return the next year if they chose, either in the next year, assuming they were disciplined in their homeschooling, or they could repeat the year they were in. In the event they were O.W.L or N.E.W.T. students, they would be required to repeat the year to take the exams."

"Oh. So, am I going to have to go home and repeat this year?"

"No. You didn't let me finish."

"Sorry."

"Well, as I said, this had been a rare problem. This year, however, we seem to have something of a baby boom among our students, as well as among the general wizarding population, as I understand. You took Muggle Studies, correct?" Ginny nodded. "Well, it appears to resemble to boom experienced by Muggle populations after their large international war about half a century ago. The one that corresponded with Grindewald's rise to power." Once again, Ginny nodded, although she didn't really remember the event McGonagall was talking about. "So, to stick with our previous policy would require sending quite a few students home this year. We are particularly loathe to do this, as this year is already been disrupted by the events of last year. This will be the only year with a modified curriculum and given how many students need the combination of last year and this year, trying to reintegrate all of you back into the curriculum next year is impractical. Thus, we have come up with a solution, which we hope will allow you to both complete your coursework here at Hogwarts and deal with your pregnancy. However, I do want to point out that this is our first experience with this so there will be a bit of trial and error and quite a bit of it will be developed as we proceed."

Ginny was slightly hopeful at this. She was so overwhelmed with dealing with the idea of being pregnant, of having a baby and being a mother, and with Harry's desertion that she hadn't even gotten around to worrying about what would happen with school.

"Okay. So what will this entail?"

"Well, first of all, Ms. Weasley, you will add another course. We are creating a class which will help you cope during your pregnancy, teach you parenting skills for after the baby comes, and cover other useful things. If you would like, Harry would also be allowed to take this course."

"Oh, I don't think he will want to. He doesn't really want anything to do with me at the moment."

"I see. Well, if that changes, he can join later." Ginny nodded. "Also, we will eventually be moving you to a new dormitory but we are still in the process of developing a housing situation at the moment. Finally, I will be sitting down with you several times over the course of the year to discuss things. Once again, Harry would be able to join you at these meetings if both you and he would like that. We have put together a new schedule for you." She handed Ginny a sheet of paper, which included the new class on it. "And we will let you know when we have a new dorm for you. Now, do you have any questions?"

Ginny was slightly overwhelmed by the meeting. It was good to know she could stay to get her N.E.W.T.s but she needed time to process everything. It really seemed like everything was happening so fast. After a minute, she said, "No."

"Then you may go. And good luck, Ms. Weasely."

Ginny got up and went to the door. Before opening it, she turned back around and said, "Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for this."

McGonagall's eyes shined for a moment. If Ginny didn't know better, she would think there were tears glistening in them. "You are welcome Ms. Weasley."

With that, Ginny opened the door and left, eager to tell Hermione what McGonagall had just told her.

The next morning, Harry awoke early, dressed and headed down to breakfast. He had taken to leaving Gryffindor tower early so as not to be in the room when Ron awoke and so that he could be gone from the Dining Hall by time Ginny got there. Plus, today was his turn in DADA and he was nervous. Sure, he had led Dumbledore's Army two years ago but that had been with Ron and Hermione's help. Now, he was all on his own and he had no one to blame but himself.

After breakfast, he headed up to the library to finish up his lesson plan. As he sat there, going over the spells he wanted to discuss, his mind thought back over the times they had been so helpful to him.

_Muffialto_. He could still remember the time the snatchers had come so close to Harry and Hermione while they had been on the run last year, but didn't know they were there because they couldn't hear them.

_The Invisibility Charm_. That spell had saved them on the same occasion as Muffialto. Harry moved on, as thinking of these spells and his time on the run with Ron and Hermione hurt too much now that they were no longer friends.

_Expecto Patronum_. The first time he had managed to produce a full-bodied patronus was when he was saving Sirius by the Black Lake in his third year. It had also saved Dudley the summer before his fifth year, a fact that had led to a slight healing of Harry and Dudley's relationship.

_The Fidelius Charm_. The spell that should have saved his life when he was a baby. If his mum and dad had just put their faith in a better person than Wormtail, they might still be alive now. However, that same spell kept Ginny and her family safe, as the Burrow was protected with the Fidelius Charm during Voldemort's reign. Once again, Harry moved on. Thoughts of Ginny were even more painful than those of Ron and Hermione.

Harry reached the end of his list and absentmindedly began writing the word _Love_. When he looked down at what he had written, he blinked. Of course. There was no greater protection than love. As Dumbledore said, it was the greatest magic on Earth. And suddenly, everything clicked and Harry realized what he needed to do. He franticly began rewriting his lesson plan. He only hoped he wasn't too late.

As Ginny filed into the DADA classroom, she grabbed a seat in the very back. Today was Harry's day to present and she really wanted to be anywhere else but there. But, considering how Professor McGonagall had been kind enough to ensure she could finish her education, she figured that she owed it to McGonagall to attend class. But that didn't mean she had to sit anywhere near Harry.

After everyone was seated, Harry walked to the front. She knew he had never really been comfortable as the center of attention but he looked particularly nervous as he looked out at the class. She didn't know why. Most of them had already sat through his lessons before as members of the DA.

Harry cleared his throat. "Hey guys." He paused, not quite sure how to go on. He saw Ginny, slumped down in the back row. He didn't blame her for hiding. He only hoped it wasn't too late.

"So, when I started this, I was planning on discussing protective spells. They were bloody useful… er, sorry professor." Harry glanced at Professor Diggle. He was so nervous, the curse had just slipped out. He continued, "er, I mean they were very useful while I was on the run, searching for a way to destroy Voldemort. But then I realized that, despite how often we used them, in the end, they are not the protection I wanted to talk about. You see, the protection that has saved me since I was a year old, the protection that Professor Dumbledore spent years trying to teach me about, was not some spell. It was love."

The class glanced around at each other, unsure of whether Harry was being serious or not. Ron and Hermione, who were sitting on either side of Ginny, glanced at each other. Harry had never really discussed this with anyone but them and they knew what it was taking for him to tell the whole of the seventh years. Between them, Ginny sat transfixed, her eyes staring straight at Harry. At his last statement, he had looked at her and their eyes were now locked on each other.

Without looking away, Harry continued. "I know it seems a little strange and trust me, it has taken me a long time to really believe in the power of love. Dumbledore tried to tell me but time after time I didn't listen. What most of you don't realize is that the power that I had that Voldemort didn't, the single power which enabled me to defeat him, was love. My mother loved me so much that she died to protect me. Since then, more people than I want to count have stood between me and death simply because they loved me. I survived to face Voldemort when I was prepared to kill him because of the love of others. And then, during the battle, I sacrificed myself, willingly, because of my love for those still fighting, and by doing so, I provided them with protection from the Death Eaters. And once again, my mother's love protected me, allowing me to come back to life and continue the fight. In the end, Voldemort's dismissal of the power of love was his downfall, not me. And frankly, even after all of that, I still didn't fully trust in its power. But I do now. You see, love is the greatest protection there is. Love is what makes life worth fighting for."

With that, Harry finally broke his eye contact with Ginny and glanced around at the class who was staring at him in confusion. He laughed a little, then added, "Maybe I should explain this a little more." He then spent the remainder of the class explaining what Dumbledore had taught him about the power of love, about his mother's protection. He ended with a discussion about how it was what you were fighting for that made the difference and fighting for love was the most powerful motivation there was. Throughout, Ginny sat in stunned silence. She had never known about a lot of what he was telling the class but in the end, it didn't matter. In the end, all that mattered was what had transpired between them during those minutes, their eyes communicating everything their mouths could not.

After class ended and the other students left, Ginny made her way to the front of the room, where Harry had lingered, slowly putting his papers back in his bag.

"Harry?" she asked, tentatively.

Harry turned and looked down into her eyes. "Oh, Ginny," he said, his eyes bright. "I'm so sorry. I know you can never forgive me for what I put you through this month but I need you to know that I am more sorry than I have ever been in my life. I love you so much Ginny. And I love this baby too, this baby which is a part of you. I'm just…"

Ginny stopped him with a kiss. A long, passionate, deep kiss that lasted until both were completely and totally out of breath.


	9. Chapter 8: Telling The Parents

**A/N: So I am a big, fat lier. And a really bad student. Studying just hasn't been appealling and this story is so much fun to write. So lucky you, you get a new chapter and it's a long one! Plus, I have another one nearly finished. Hmmm, maybe a few more reviews would convince me to set aside my studying once again and finish it... **

**:)**

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**Chapter 8**

**Telling The Parents**

**December**

An early blizzard ushered in December, leaving the grounds coated in a glistening coat of snow. Fires were lite throughout the castle to ward off the plummeting temperatures. But none of this seemed to matter to Harry and Ginny. In the week since they had gotten back together, the world had taken on a rosey glow. Sure, they had hurdles ahead, but at this moment, it seemed like they could scale Mt. Everest without breaking a sweat.

Even the crush of end-of-term exams couldn't dampen their spirits. Hermione had taken to organizing their study schedules to keep everyone on track. Now that Harry had admitted what a downright idiot he had been for most of the last month, Hermione had forgiven him and welcomed him back with open arms. And Harry had definitely seen an improvement in his schoolwork since this had happened. He always appreciated Hermione most when she wasn't talking to him. And, boy, was he glad that was over!

Ron, however, was a different story. While he had consented to hanging out with Harry again, their relationship was still tense. Even though Ron was his best mate and even though Harry had finally come round and was back with Ginny, he had still gotten Ron's sister pregnant while they were both still in Hogwarts and without being married to her. As far as Ron was concerned, that fell under the category of "hurting his little sister" and Harry would not be forgiven easily. However, if Ginny was happy, Ron would keep his feelings to himself, at least for now.

On the final Sunday before Christmas break was set to begin, the four of them were spread around a table near the fire, studying the properties of animagus transformations, which they were to be tested on in two days time. Around eleven, Ginny finally put down her papers with a heavy sigh. She arched her back, stretching in her chair, trying to relieve some of the pain in her lower back. Under her robes, Harry could just make out the curve of her stomach, but only because he knew it was there.

She reached over to grab a sugar quill sitting on the table. "I think I'm done guys. If I don't know enough to pass the test by now, I'm not going to. Plus, it's not like I want to become an animagus. Way too much work!"

Harry leaned back. "Me too. I can't study anymore."

Hermione looked bewildered. Harry was pretty sure the concept of finishing a study session was foreign to her. She just went nonstop. Blimey, she even studied her answers to the test _after_ she took it! Ron, meanwhile, just plugged his ears, and continued reading his notes, mouthing the words as he went.

Eager to avoid disturbing those two, Harry and Ginny moved over to a couch directly in front of the fire. There were only a handful of students left in the common room, sitting across the room at another set of tables, so Harry and Ginny had some privacy.

Ginny cuddled into the crock of Harry's arm while his hand rested on her slightly curved stomach. While she was clearly showing, the billowing Hogwarts robes hid it well and, after hearing the story from Parvati and Demelza, Ginny had been careful to hide it while in the dorm. She knew she couldn't keep it a secret for much longer but, as they still hadn't told her family, she wasn't eager for the new to spread around Hogwarts. That thought had been nagging her for a few days, ruining the blissful period she and Harry had enjoyed recently.

Finally speaking up about it, Ginny looked up at Harry and broached the topic. "Harry, you know we need to tell my family soon, right?"

Harry tensed a little. "Yeah. I guess we do. I mean, it's not like it will stay secret much longer. Although Charlie hasn't seemed to figure out yet. And at least Ron agreed not to tell anyone. But yeah, we do need to tell them. I'm just not looking forward to it. If Ron's right hook was any indication, they are going to kill me. I mean, Voldemort was scary, but your brothers are truly terrifying." He smiled and Ginny knew he was joking a little, although clearly still worried about how her family would react.

"Well, we will be home on Saturday. That's just a week away. And I've been lucky so far, since I don't seem to be showing as much as I could be, so we might be able to make it til then. I mean, we could send them a post, but I would rather tell them this in person. What do you think?"

"Yeah. This is not something to be delivered by owl. How about we take your parents aside when we get back to the Burrow and then we can tell the rest of the family after we cross the first hurdle."

"That sounds good." Ginny relaxed even further into his arms, glad to finally have a plan. Now, there was just one more thing to cover. "Harry?"

"Yeah?" he responded, gazing into the fire.

"I have another favor." He turned his gaze on her. "You see, there is something I really want you to do with me tomorrow. I mean, you don't have to. But I would really like it if you would. I just, I kind of want you there." She broke off, aware she was rambling.

"Ginny, if you want me there, I'll come. But where exactly do you want me?"

"Well, McGonagall has put together this class she wants me to go to." Ginny proceeded to explain about her meeting with McGonagall and what she had learned while she was there. She ended with, "So it seems like we aren't the only ones. And part of the deal for staying rather than being homeschooled is going to this class. I don't have a choice. But you don't have to come." Ginny looked at him, unsure of his answer. She knew he had come around to the pregnancy, but she was still a little hesitant about discussing it with him.

"Ginny, it makes sense for me to come. But there is only one thing. You know that if I come with you, people will know I'm the father and it could lead to awkward situations?"

"I know. But they will figure it out eventually. Plus, everyone else in the class is in the same state so I'm not that worried. They might not be eager to spread it around right away since that would let on that they are pregnant too." Harry nodded at this, figuring her logic made sense.

The next afternoon, Harry and Ginny split off from Ron and Hermione, heading to the classroom where the class would be held. When they got there, Harry was surprised by how many people were there. There were ten girls already in the room, along with six guys. When Harry and Ginny walked in, the room went silent. _Well, it was bound to be big news_ Harry thought to himself as everyone stared. He just hoped it could stay quiet a few more days.

As he looked around, he spotted Romilda Vane, a sixth year who had once tried to slip him a love potion, as well as two fellow seventh years, both from Hufflepuff, although he couldn't remember their names. There was only one girl who could no longer hide her belly within the folds of her robe, a Ravenclaw who, Harry thought, was in her sixth year.

Harry and Ginny took a seat in the corner of the room. A moment later, Professor Sprout walked in, covered in patches of dirt as usual. It was weird seeing her outside of the greenhouses. When she got to the front of the room, she raised her hand for silence and everyone settled into seats. "Welcome. You all know why you are here. Professor McGonagall has asked me to lead this class, as I am one of the few mothers on staff." Harry glanced at Ginny, who looked back, confused. This was news to them. "My daughter is long grown and has two sons of her own now. My husband died many years ago and I took my teaching post not long after he died," she explained. "So, I have a little idea of what you will go through in the coming months and years. So, why don't we get started?" She clapped her hands together. She went on to discuss what they would cover beginning in January and then walked them through a few of the more basic aspects to early pregnancy. Some girls paid rapt attention while others, who had clearly already passed that stage, sat back. Finally, she gave them a book list, which she said she expected them to buy over the holidays. "And don't forget to read the first two before you come back next term!" With that, she let them go.

"Well," Harry said, "that wasn't too bad." Ginny smiled. "Now, we just have to hope that news doesn't leak before we leave on Saturday." Ginny nodded and then they headed hand in hand back to the common room, ready to start in on their Charms essay due before the end of term.

On Saturday, they boarded the Hogwarts Express to head home for the holidays. Harry couldn't believe their luck. Somehow, it didn't seem like anyone knew about him and Ginny. He figured he had finally caught a break. Ginny figured the girls were just desperate to keep their own secrets. Despite the larger number of students attending Hogwarts this year, the train seemed emptier than usual, allowing the foursome to easily find a compartment. Harry knew that a lot of students were staying behind for Christmas. The war had orphaned many children, leaving them without a place to go for the holidays, much like Harry had been before meeting the Weasleys. However, he trusted McGonagall to do everything in her power to make sure their Hogwarts Christmas was a good one.

His Christmas, however, was more uncertain. As the train got closer and closer to London, he got more and more nervous. He and Ginny were planning on telling her parents as soon as they got back to the Burrow. Charlie, who was needed at Hogwarts for a few days, wouldn't be back until Tuesday, and Ron and Hermione had agreed to make themselves scarce, knowing what was coming. So, by the time the train pulled into Kings Cross, Harry was a bundle of nerves.

When the group got off the train and out of Platform 9 ¾ , they saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley waiting near the front of the crowd of parents. Mrs. Weasley was bouncing, eager to have her kids back under her roof. Even Hermione, who was staying for a few days, before heading to her parent's house for Christmas and then returning to the Burrow for New Years. As soon as they appeared, Mrs. Weasley rushed forward and engulfed each of them in a bear hug. Then they apparated home, Harry taking Ginny through side-along, as she didn't have her license yet.

When they arrived, Mrs. Weasley served lunch and then Ron and Hermione headed out into the garden. As the Weasleys stood, Molly to clean up lunch and Arthur to head to his shed, Harry spoke up. "Actually, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? Could Ginny and I talk to you before you go?"

Arthur and Molly looked at each other, then Mr. Weasley said, "Sure" and they sat back down.

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand under the table a squeezed it. She looked at him and took a deep breath, mentally stealing herself for the conversation she was about to have.

"Mum, Dad. Harry and I have something to tell you. And before we do, I want you to keep three things in mind. First, I am legally an adult, not a child, despite the fact that I am your little girl. Second, Harry and I love each other very much. Finally, do not overreact. Let us finish before you react." Ginny looked into both her parent's eyes, hoping what she said would make a difference.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes went wide as her daughter finished. Then she squealed, "You and Harry are engaged!"

Harry, who had not expected this, gasped. "Uh, no Mrs. Weasley. No. We aren't engaged."

Mrs. Weasley deflated a little. "Oh. Did you guys get married already then. Did you elope?"

Ginny sighed. "No, mum, Harry and I did not elope. We are not engaged and we did not elope. Now, can we tell you?" Mrs. Weasley nodded. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand, seeking reassurance. "Mum, Dad." She took a breath. "I'm pregnant."

For a moment, her parents sat in stunned silence. Then, like a ticking time bomb which had just reached double zeroes, Mrs. Weasley exploded. "YOU ARE PREGNANT? YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE PREGNANT, YOUNG LADY! HOW IRRESPONSIBLE CAN YOU BE? YOU MAY BE AN ADULT BUT YOU ARE ONLY 17! YOU'RE STILL IN HOGWARTS! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?"

Harry quivered under her fury. "Mrs. Weasley, I'm so sorry. But I need you to know, I love Ginny and I'm…"

Mrs. Weasley turned on him. "AND YOU! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS HARRY? AFTER ALL THAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH. AFTER YOU FINALLY DEFEATED HIM, YOU GO AND RUIN YOUR LIFE! AND YOU RUINED GINNY'S LIFE!"

Suddenly, Mr. Weasley seemed to come out of his stupor. Quietly, so that you could barely hear him above Mrs. Weasley's temper, he said, "Oh, Ginny. How could you do this?" The disappointment in his voice was palpable.

Hearing his disapproval, Ginny's eyes filled with tears and Harry quickly wrapped his arms around her, trying to shield her while knowing he could not protect her from this. "Oh Daddy." Ginny said softly, several tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Seeing her tears and Harry's reaction to them seemed to have briefly calmed Mrs. Weasley. Still breathing heavily but no longer screaming, she slowly lowered herself back into her seat. Ginny continued, "I know I've disappointed you both. And I know we were irresponsible. But Harry and I love each other and we love this baby. Mum, after we lost Fred, I realized how precious life is, all life. And this baby is a new life. I know it's going to be hard because we are so young. But we will make it work." Ginny looked at her parents, pleading with her eyes for their understanding.

Her mother took a breath. "Oh Ginny. Another grandchild is a gift. I just wish it wasn't from you when you are so young. Although, I guess I was only a year older when Bill was born. It just seems like so long ago and you are my little girl. I worry for you." Looking at Harry, she added, "I worry for both of you."

Mr. Weasley spoke up. "We love you Ginny. You too, Harry. You are like a son to me already."

Harry felt his eyes water slightly and fought to stay in control. "Thank you. You guys have been the family I never had. And I know this may have hurt you. But I do love Ginny, more than anything. And we will get through this together." He looked Mr. Weasley in the eye, trying to show a confidence that was still shaky.

"I know you mean that Harry." Mr. Weasley smiled slightly at him.

"Well, why don't we talk about happier things. Another grandchild!" Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands together. "That's three in one year! Fleur, Angelina, and now Ginny. Oh, we can tell the whole family tomorrow at dinner. Everyone is coming! They want to see Hermione before she leaves for her parents and they want to welcome you home. Although, Charlie still won't be here, not til Tuesday. Does he know, dear? And when are you due? We should start planning, so that everything is ready when you graduate!"

"No, he doesn't know. Just Ron and Hermione. We can tell him when he gets home. We do need to tell everyone soon though. I was pushing it, waiting to tell you until I could do it in person. I mean, I didn't want the press to find out before you guys. Who knows what Rita Skeeter will do once she finds out." Harry groaned at the thought as Ginny kept talking. "And I'm due May 19th."

"But, May 19th? What about your N.E.W.T.s? And finishing school? Oh, Ginny, how didn't you tell us before? And you are too skinny! How far along are you? We need to get you eating more. You barely touched your lunch!" Mrs. Weasley converted quickly back into her mothering role.

"Mum!" said an exasperated Ginny as she rolled her eyes. "First of all, I already told you, I wanted to tell you in person so Harry and I waited until we came home on break. And I'm 18 weeks along, just started the fifth month. As for the lunch, what did you expect? I was nervous. I knew we were going to tell you! Normally, I can't get enough food lately. I'm actually eating a little like Ron." Ginny frowned, slightly disgusted by her own eating habits. "And trust me, I'm not that skinny." She stood up and smoothed the loose top she was wearing, showing off her rounded belly. Mrs. Weasley gasped. "I can't even button my pants anymore and this was the only shirt I had that would hide it. If it had gone on any longer, I wouldn't have been able to hide it and we couldn't have waited til break to tell you. I'm just glad we could. I don't think this should be shared in a letter." She sat back down, leaning on Harry, suddenly tired after the stressful revelation.

Harry, sensing this, picked up the conversation. "And don't worry about school, Mrs. Weasley. Professor McGonagall has it all figured out. We are not nearly the only ones at school in this situation." He went on to tell her about the arrangements that had been made for the pregnant students. "So Ginny can still take her N.E.W.T.s and graduate," he finished.

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Seeing as how our family alone is adding three new members, I'm not surprised that a lot of people are pregnant! And thank goodness for Professor McGonagall. On top of everything, that woman. But I don't envy you trying to take your N.E.W.T.s with a month old baby under foot. You two have no idea what you are in for." Mrs. Weasley smiled a little mischievously.

"About that. Mrs. Weasley, I have a favor to ask. I promised Andromeda that I would take Teddy for the holiday break. After all, she is a little old to be caring for a young child so I want to help out and, being in school, this is what I can do right now. He is just as much my responsibility as hers since he is my godson."

"That's right. I forgot you already were responsible for a child, Harry. Essentially the father to two young children, all before the age of 19. You _are_ in for a difficult year." Mr. Weasley joined Mrs. Weasley, casting a mischievous smile at the dark haired boy. "You've had some difficult years but this one is a challenge from a whole different field." His smile widened.

Knowing that they were teasing him but not really believing that it would possibly be more difficult than being on the run from Voldemort, walking to his own death, before finally facing his foe in battle and defeating him, he let the jab pass without comment. "Yeah. Anyway, I was planning on taking him to Grimmauld Place, as it is my only home at the moment. I didn't want to impose Teddy on you. But now, I want to ask if I could bring Teddy here. I really think Ginny and I should take care of him together."

Nodding, Mrs Weasley said, "Of course, dear. I wouldn't dream of making you go to Grimmauld Place. And you have a home here. That little boy is welcome in this family. As is Andromeda. You should invite her for Christmas dinner. And it will be excellent practice for you and Ginny! However, some new rules, since we already know you seem to have broken the old ones." Mrs. Weasley glanced pointedly at Ginny's stomach. "First, Teddy can have Percy's old room. He isn't staying for the holidays but just joining us for meals and such, given how busy Kingsley is keeping him. Second, You, Harry, will still be in Ron's room. And I mean it." She looked at him sharply and he quickly nodded. "Ginny, you and Hermione will be together. Angelina was going to take Percy's room but I'll give her Fred and George's room." Mrs. Weasley paused briefly after mentioning Fred but then continued on. "So I'll put George in with Charlie and Bill and Fleur will take his room. My, we have a full house. And I expect you both to stay in the rooms I assign! I know the old adage, you can't get pregnant again, but I don't care. Under my roof, you will stay separately unless you are married. Am I clear?"

Both Harry and Ginny nodded quickly. Once they had been excused from the table, they went out to the garden to tell Ron and Hermione how it had gone. Harry felt a huge weight lift off his chest. The conversation had gone better than he could have hoped for. He had been worried they would throw him out or burn him alive. Instead, after a bit of yelling, their news had been accepted and Harry was still welcome in the house. Now, all he had to worry about was Ginny's brothers.


	10. Chapter 9: Ron and His Brothers

**A/N: I gave in and finished the chapter... who wants to study anyway. No promises that the next one will go up before I take my exam next week though. At some point, I really do have to study!**

**Enjoy! Remember, the more reviews I can get, the more likely I am to update earlier!**

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**Chapter 9**

**Ron and His Brothers**

**December**

The next morning, Harry Flooed to Andromeda's house to pick up Teddy. After a whirlwind tutorial on caring for the eight month old, Harry was packed up and headed back to the Burrow, toting along the squirming baby and a massive amount of supplies. Andromeda would be joining them for Christmas but, other than that, she was looking forward to a relaxing break.

When Harry got to the Burrow, he found that Mrs. Weasley had pulled out their old crib and set it up in Bill's room. Harry put Teddy in there while he unpacked all his things. Then he picked up the bright eyed boy, who was playfully switching his hair back and forth between the bright blue it had been when he picked him up and the messy, pitch black that matched Harry's, and headed back downstairs. Ginny was sitting in the family room, reading one of the books on the booklist she and Harry had been given. Her mom had picked them up that morning while running other errands.

"Hey." He leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips and then sat down with Teddy. "Teddy, you remember Ginny? Can you say hi to Ginny?" he said in a slow and sweet voice, holding the small boys attention. Teddy babbled a little and reached for Ginny's hair. Harry quickly pulled her hair free, laughing a little when Teddy's hair changed yet again, this time to Weasley red.

"Hey guy!" Ginny set down her book and reached over to grab the bouncing baby. "Come over to Auntie Ginny!" Teddy went willingly, smiling and babbling away as the two played with him.

_This won't be that hard!_ Harry thought, smiling at his godson and his pregnant girlfriend.

By that night, Harry had realized just how wrong he was. It had only been one afternoon and he was exhausted. Bill and Fleur had arrived a few minutes ago but Harry and Ginny had not had time to go great them, as they were still trying to feed Teddy his dinner before putting him down for the night. Harry had cut up a banana and had some pureed peas for Teddy and Mrs. Weasley had cut up some of the pasta she had made for the family into tiny pieces for the baby. However, twenty minutes into the meal, Harry wasn't really sure how much the boy had actually eaten and how much was simply mashed around his face and highchair. By the time they called it quits, even Harry and Ginny were covered in food. If he wasn't so tired, he would have found the situation extremely funny.

An hour later, Harry finally descended the stairs to join the family. After cleaning up the kitchen, he and Ginny had given Teddy a bath and then, while Ginny went downstairs to visit her family, Harry put the boy to bed, a process which was not nearly as smooth as Andromeda had made it seem. Finally, though, the little guy had fallen asleep.

Now, as he stood to the entrance to the family room, he hesitated. He was exhausted after his day with Teddy but that was forgotten as he prepared to enter what he was viewing as the lion's den. His nerves were back in his throat, knowing that he and Ginny were going to share their news with her brothers tonight.

Fleur spotted him hanging around the doorway and came over to him, wrapping him in a big hug. Somehow, despite the fact that she was seven months pregnant by this point, she was still as beautiful as ever. Harry figured it was the Veela in her.

"'Arry! It is so good to see you!" Fleur had always been extremely kind to him since he had "rescued" her sister from the Black Lake.

"You too, Fleur. You look great, by the way."

Bill walked over and joined them. Wrapping her arm around his wife, he smiled. "She sure does, doesn't she? I can't believe we are going to be parents in just under three months! But Fleur has definitely taken to pregnancy well." He leaned down and kissed her.

"That's great, guys." Harry spotted Ginny talking with George and Angelina. "Can you excuse me? I need to ask Ginny something." Bill nodded, smiling. He had told Harry that he couldn't think of anyone better for his sister when he found out they were dating after the Battle. Harry wondered what he would think once he found out she was pregnant.

Harry walked up behind Ginny. "Hey," he whispered in her ear. He looked up to greet George and Angelina. "Hey guys. Angie, you look great. And happy too!" Her eyes were sparkling in a way that they hadn't been back in October.

"Thanks Harry. I really am. I can't wait to see this baby, though! I've never been so uncomfortable in my life!" She was eight months pregnant and pretty miserable half the time. "Although, I actually think George is more excited than I am. Might be cuz he's getting a full night's sleep and my excitement is tempered by exhaustion!" She laughed.

George sat down on the couch next to Angelina and took her hand. He was laughing too, which was a great sight, as it had been rare in the months following Fred's death. "Very funny. Hey. What can I say? I'm going to be a proud papa!"

Ginny and Harry looked at each other. Then Ginny asked, "Papa?"

George smiled. "Angie and I have talked it over extensively. Fred would want his kid to have a dad, and who better than his own twin. I can make sure he always knows about his father but also make sure he has a dad around to love him." He put his arm around Angelina. "And the kid's mum's pretty great too, so who wouldn't want to be the dad?" He smiled and Angelina punched him playfully. Harry and Ginny could tell that there was something more developing between them, but they knew better than anyone how precarious the early stages of a relationship was so they pretended not to notice.

Just then, Charlie walked through the back door. Mrs. Weasley squealed and rushed over to hug him. "Hey guys. Sorry I'm late," he joked. Looking at his dad, he added, in explanation, "McGonagall let me out early. Said she didn't need me." He shrugged.

Mrs. Weasley released her second oldest child. "And you are just in time. Dinner is ready. We are eating in the garden. Arthur, did you remember to cast the warming charms around the table?" Mr. Weasley nodded and everyone got up to head to the table. As Harry saw Ginny, Fleur, and Angelina all walking out together, it suddenly struck him that Ginny would soon look like Fleur and Angelina and he would be like George and Bill. The realization took his breath away for a minute. He was sure Ginny would be even more beautiful than Fleur. Then he snapped out of it and joined the family at the table, taking a seat next to Ginny.

Conversation flowed as an alarming amount of food was consumed. As Mrs. Weasley served dessert, Percy spoke. "Can I have everyone's attention? Since we are all together, I just wanted to let you know that I started dating a girl named Audrey several months ago and we have gotten quite serious." He looked at his parents. "If it is alright with you, I would like to invite her for New Years so she can meet everyone."

"Oh, Percy!" his mother answered excitedly. "Of course she can come! Will she be staying the night? I could make room for her in with Angelina."

"Oh, no. No need for that. She and I will leave a little after midnight. We both have to work in the morning. She works for the International Magical Office of Law, which is in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She and I meet at a department meeting."

"That is great, dear!" She hurried over to her son and wrapped him in a hug. Mrs. Weasley had been thrilled over the last eight months that Percy was back with his family. When she released him, she looked at the her husband expectantly. "Your father has some good news too!"

"Ah, yes, I guess I should tell them." Mr. Weasley stood up. "I got a promotion at work. I'm still running my same office but I was also given a seat on the Wizengamot. It is a reward for our family's participation in the War through the Order. It's a great honor and hopefully it will one day pass to Bill. Plus, it comes with a nice salary." He sat back down, smiling meekly. Everybody smiled and congratulated him.

"Oh, dad, that's great!" Bill stood. "Fleur and I have some news too! We are having a girl! We finally gave in and asked."

"A granddaughter!" Mrs. Weasley gushed, tears in her eyes. She turned to look at George and Angelina, who looked down, as if they knew what was coming. "And you two. What about you? Have you found out yet?"

"No, mum. We told you. We want to be surprised." George said.

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes. Clearly, this was an ongoing argument. "Fine," she huffed. She looked around the table. Finally her eyes settled on Harry and Ginny. Knowing what was coming, they clasped their hands under the table. "And we have one more announcement, don't we?" she asked them pointedly.

Ginny stood up. "Yes, mum we do." She took a deep breath. Her family looked up at her expectedly. Knowing they were likely expecting the same announcement that her parents had been expecting, she steeled herself for the response when they didn't get it.

"You guys. I'm pregnant. Harry and I are having a baby." Her brothers looked back at her, dumbfounded. Only Ron, who already knew, seemed to still be the only one still breathing. Despite the lack of response, Ginny knew they were furious. So, it seemed did Angelina and Fleur, who were trying to calm their respective men. Percy and Charlie fumed alone. Finally, Bill said, in a quiet voice which matched the one her father had used the day before, "You're what?"

"I'm pregnant, Bill. Harry and I are going to have a baby in May." She smiled tensely.

Harry, who sensed the anger, stood up next to Ginny. "I just want you guys to know how much I love Ginny. And how much I love this baby." He put his arm around his girlfriend. That seemed to be enough to snap everyone out of their stupor.

"Harry, inside. Now." Charlie said. Ginny's brothers stood and pulled away from the table. Harry squeezed Ginny's hand and went to follow. Her parents simply watched, knowing this was something their boys needed to handle on their own.

Once inside, Charlie expoded. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO OUR SISTER?"

Before he could gain a head of steam, Harry paused him. Pulling out his wand, he said "Muffliato." In explanation, he added, "I don't want to wake Teddy."

Bill nodded. Charlie, however, continued on without acknowledging the pause. "SHE IS OUR LITTLE SISTER. AND YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HER! WE SHOULD KILL YOU! FORGET SHOULD! WE ARE _GOING_ TO KILL YOU!" He pulled out his wand, aiming it at Harry's heart.

Bill placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder to calm him. "Charlie," he said in a warning tone. "Let's give Harry a chance to talk before we kill him." Looking at Harry, he said, "And I do not eliminate the possibility of killing you. Harry, how could you. She is only 17. She is still at Hogwarts. So are you. How could you be so irresponsible?"

Looking at the brothers, Harry tried to explain himself. "I know what we did was irresponsible. All I can say is it was in a moment of grief and we got caught up."

"Oi!" Ron screeched. "I don't want to hear about that! That's my sister you're talking about!"

"Sorry. I'm just saying, we didn't mean for this to happen. But it has. And we are happy about it. It may not be an ideal time but that's too bad. It's happening and we will deal with it together. And we will both still be able to complete our N.E.W.T.s. Charlie, you should know that. Surely, McGonagall told you about the arrangements for the pregnant students this year. You may not have realized that included Ginny but you know now."

Charlie nodded. Looking at Bill, George, and Percy, who were confused, he explained, "It's been a bit of problem this year. After the war, it seems a lot of the older students have gotten pregnant." The brothers nodded in understanding.

Harry continued. "So we can do this. You can kill me if you want. I deserve it. But I love Ginny and I love this baby, and I promise you I will take care of both of them." He looked each brother in their eyes, lingering on Ron, striving to breach the tension that had developed between them.

Charlie looked up. "Is this why you guys were never together last month? Every time I saw either of you in the dining hall, it was without the other."

Ron answered. "Yeah. Harry was a giant prat. He told Ginny he couldn't handle it and bloody walked out on her."

Bill whispered dangerously, "You did what?"

Harry sighed. "I did exactly what Ron said." Percy growled and Charlie began to crack his knuckles. Ron looked pleased that everything was out in the open. "I was the world's biggest prat. I should be killed for what I put Ginny through. It's no excuse but I was overwhelmed. I had finally gotten Voldemort off my back and, in the process, become the guardian of an infant. I love Teddy and, between Andromeda and me, he will be loved. But it was still a huge shock and I was worried about whether or not I could handle it. So Ginny's announcement threw me. And I panicked. And I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I wish I hadn't done it. But during that period, I realized what Ginny had already figured out. It was actually something you and Angelina said." George looked surprised. "Well, you and Dumbledore, actually. I love Ginny more than anything. And I love this baby too. Life is precious. Fred, Remus, and Tonks taught us that. So did my parents, Sirius, and Dumbledore. And this is a life we are responsible for. I am responsible for Teddy and, today, I was reminded of how much I love him and how I would do anything for him. And he is my godson. If I feel that for my godson, my own child will be just as precious to me. And I know this now. I have lost too many people in my family to willingly give up anymore. I'm not going anywhere. I'm sticking by Ginny, no matter what you do to me." He finished adamantly. Smiling meekly, he added, "Although that will be easier if I'm still living."

George was the first to speak. "I miss Fred so much. It is like a part of me is missing. But I know he would want me to move on and enjoy my life. And he would want me to love his child as he would. Life is short and we should cherish every minute. We lost family this year. And it will always hurt. But now we are gaining family too. And I can tell Harry is sincere." George held out his hand. "Harry, congratulations."

Harry shook George's outstretched hand. "Blimey, George, it is always strange to see you so serious." George smiled.

Bill, Charlie, and Percy joined George and shook Harry's hand. "If you hurt her again, we will not hesitate to kill you, even if you did defeat You-Know-Who." Bill clarified.

Harry nodded. "I would expect nothing less." The four elder brothers went back outside, leaving just Harry and Ron.

Ron looked down and shuffled his foot. Harry began, "Ron, listen…"

Before he could continue, Ron spoke up. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Every word."

Ron nodded. "Okay." Ron nodded again. "Okay then."

Harry smiled. "We back to normal?"

Ron smiled. "Course. After all, Hermione already forgave you. And you know I can't differ from her for long."

Harry laughed. "I'd like to see you try." And the two of them, finally back to being best mates, headed back out to the garden to join the family.


	11. Chapter 10: Fears and Worries

**A/N: Exam is over and I am back online! As a reward for your patience, the next chapter! Let me know what you think! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**

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**Chapter 10**

**Fears and Worries**

**January**

If the first week of January was anything to judge the new year by, Harry was in for a rough year. It started with a visit from Kingsley the Thursday before they were due to return to Hogwarts. He showed up with Arthur after work and, after turning down a dinner invitation from Molly, asked to speak to Harry alone.

"Listen, I hate to ask you this again, but I'm getting desperate. I know you said last summer you wanted to finish your final year at Hogwarts but we need you Harry. You have a natural ability for fighting the dark arts and the Auror Department was depleted after the last war. We simply do not have enough manpower to round up all the Death Eaters still out there and still keep fighting the dark arts in its other forms as well. Is there any chance I can get you to join us?"

"Listen Kingsley, I'm really sorry but I can't, especially now." Kingsley gave him an inquiring look. "I might as well tell you since it won't stay quiet much longer. Ginny is pregnant."

Kingsley's eyes widened. "Ah. I see. Well that does change things doesn't it? No I suppose you can't join us now, can you? You will be staying with Ginny at Hogwarts, then?" Harry nodded. "I would expect nothing less of you." Harry cringed inside at Kingsley's confidence in him, considering how he had initially reacted to the news. "Well, I still hope you join us when you graduate."

"Right now, it is still my first choice but I have to consider things," Harry said and Kingsley nodded. "Was that all you wanted to see me about though?" Harry suspected something else might be up, as it didn't seem likely that Kingsley would come just to ask him a question that Harry had already answered last summer.

Kingsley looked Harry in the eye and said, his voice unusually grave, "No, Harry, it's not. I was simply hoping. I really came here to discuss the recent death eater attacks. We think they are reorganizing." When Harry started to speak, Kingsley quickly cut him off. "No, nothing on the level of when Voldemort was leading them. They have splintered. Each faction seems to have its own goals and its own leadership."

"That certainly makes catching them a priority, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but quite a few Death Eaters blame you for their downfall." Harry rolled his eyes, indicating that this fact was obvious. "Yes, well, there were certainly going to be some out for revenge. And we have been monitoring it. Recently, we decided to warn you, as we have intelligence that one of the new factions has targeted you. Not surprising, like I said, but this group seems particularly well organized and it has us concerned. Even more alarming is that they plan to target those close to you as well, so that you will suffer before they kill you."

"Great," Harry sighed. He was glad that he had finally succeeded in defeating Voldemort but there were still times that he wished his life hadn't been marked by Tom Riddle seventeen years ago. Even after fulfilling his destiny, he was still a marked man. And even worse, he had brought danger upon his friends yet again.

"Yes. We are planning on placing protection around the Weasleys as well as Andromeda Tonks and Teddy Lupin. They will have protection rings around their home similar to those they have had when you stayed with them in years past. This time, though, we will leave them in place when you leave."

Harry deeply regretted subjecting the Weasleys to this inconvience yet again but saw no way around it. After all, leaving, it seemed, wouldn't help because people already knew he was close to them. Plus, it was common knowledge that he was Teddy's godfather so there was nothing to do about that either. "That's fine. I'm sure they will all agree."

"Good. Now, I just wanted to ask if there is anyone else you think will be targeted. I know we were concerned about your aunt and uncle previously but I believe they are safe this time around." Kingsley looked at Harry for a response.

"No, I think just the Weasleys and Andromeda's place is fine."

"As I thought. Just one last thing. I wanted to assure you that we have added protection to the school for your own safety as well as the other students. For this reason, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny should be safe at school with you. And Hogsmeade has increased protection as well but still be careful, especially once it becomes known that Ginny is pregnant."

"I will." With that, Kingsley nodded and left, leaving a frustrated Harry in his wake. Just when it looked like his life would no longer revolve around fighting the dark arts, he got news like this. As if he didn't have enough to deal with. Resigning himself to the inevitable threats, Harry set aside his frustration and went in to get Teddy from Ginny so that he could give his godson a bath and put him to bed before the family ate.

He regretted everything he had put the boy through, first by losing his parents in a battle that, while Harry knew was not his fault, was nonetheless one that he was leading the charge in. Now, it seemed that he would suffer for being his godson. And Harry agonized even more about Ginny and the baby. Teddy would be safe in Andromeda's care but Harry believed it was up to him to protect Ginny. Ginny could no longer hide her belly in her robes and he recognized that it wouldn't be long before word spread that she was carrying his child. He worried about her. He knew the press would pounce the minute they got wind of the story. And the Death Eaters would be sure to follow.

Walking into the kitchen, Ginny looked up from the mashed peas she was feeding Teddy. "What was that about?"

"Oh, he just wanted to try one more time to get me to quit school and join the Aurors." Harry decided not to worry Ginny with the news. His response seemed to satisfy her, as she nodded and turned back to Teddy, trying to coax the last few bites into his mouth so Harry could take him. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would have to be told but, as soon as possible, he would pull them aside and ask them to keep the news quiet. Ginny had enough to deal with.

The next morning, Harry woke up early to talk with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about the threats. However, when he got to the door of the kitchen, he overheard them talking quietly. Not wanting to disturb them, he turned to leave, planning to come back a little later. However, he stopped when he heard his name and moved closer to listen in.

"Harry is like a son to me, Arthur, you know that. But I don't know if he really knows what he is doing. I really think Harry and Ginny are in over their heads."

"It's going to be hard. But at least McGonagall has set it up so Ginny can finish school."

Mrs. Weasley harrumphed. "Oh, sure. She has it set up so Ginny can stay. But do you really think she can handle it? And what about when the baby comes? How will she study for her N.E.W.T.s and take care of a newborn at the same time? Really, Arthur, I just don't see how this will work."

"Molly, I'm sure Ginny can handle it. And Harry will help."

"He better," said Mrs. Weasley under her breath.

"Molly, you know Harry. He is noble to a fault. He won't let Ginny go it alone. And I really do think he loves her."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "You're right. But I'm just worried that will mean neither of them complete their N.E.W.T.s. Maybe it would be better if we just kept Ginny home and let her repeat the year. It's not like she would be any older than Ron is now."

It was quiet for a moment before Mr. Weasley responded. "Maybe. But, Molly, we can't just declare that she isn't going back to school. She's an adult now. Our little girl turned 17 last summer. Technically, we can't make her do anything anymore. And if we weren't sure she had grown up before, we certainly know it now. Our little girl is having a baby." Mr. Weasley ended on a slightly despondent note.

"Oh, Arthur." Harry heard her voice break with emotion as she said her husband's name. "I'm just so worried for her. For both of them. Harry has no one to turn to. And Ginny is our baby. If it were any of the boys, I wouldn't be as worried. They were helping with kids their whole lives, especially Bill and Charlie. I mean, I'm a little worried about George and Angelina but they are both so committed to Fred's child, I know they are ready. That baby is their world right now and has brought them peace. But this is Ginny. I just don't think Ginny and Harry are ready."

"I know dear. But, ready or not, it's happening. And there is nothing we can do to stop it."

"Maybe if we take the baby. We could raise it and then Harry and Ginny could have a normal life. Well as normal as is possible considering Harry is the savior of the Wizarding World."

"Molly, dear…" Mr. Weasley began softly.

"No, Arthur, hear me out. You heard Bill. He said that Ron told the boys that Harry had bailed when he found out. He is obviously not ready. And Ginny is just a little girl. I think it would be best if we raised the child." Her voice resonated and Harry recognized the tone as the one she used when she had made her decision and expected no arguments.

Mr. Weasley, though, ignored her tone. "Molly, dear, we can't just raise their child. We have to give them a chance. Maybe they can do it. I know what Bill said but we also know Harry came around. He came back. He's been through a lot. I don't like what he did but maybe he just needed some time to get his head around it. After all, it's not everyday a man finds out he is going to be a father for the first time and it can throw you for a loop even when it's expected." Harry could hear a wry smile on Mr. Weasley's lips as he said that. "And neither Harry nor Ginny are so little anymore, Molly. The war aged our children. It aged Harry most of all but Ginny is old beyond her years as well."

"But, Arthur, that's just one more reason they shouldn't have to face this so soon. A child can be a gift but it can also be a burden if they are not ready for it. And they have already had to face too many burdens and grow up way too fast. They should get the chance to be youthful for just a little while." Harry heard tears in her voice.

"I know, dear. I know. But they chose to act irresponsibly. And now, they must face the consequences. It hurts me that they won't get that but we have to let them grow up and face this like the adults they are." Mr. Weasley sounded tired.

Unable to listen to anymore, Harry turned and went back upstairs. When he got to his and Ron's room, he collapsed on his bed. _They knew what a coward I have been_, he thought to himself. _They knew I had deserted their daughter in her time of need. And on top of that, they don't think I can handle this. They think me and Ginny are incapable of being parents._ Harry closed his eyes, overwhelmed with dread. _If the best parents I know don't think I'm ready, what chance do I have?_

Harry spent the rest of that Friday distracted by what he had overheard. He couldn't help but think that Mrs. Weasley had a point. It would be easier for her just to raise their child. But then why did that idea make him sick to his stomach? He knew Ginny would make a great mom, regardless of her age and whether her parents thought she was ready or not. But he wasn't so sure about himself. But at the same time, the idea of watching Mr. and Mrs. Weasley raise his child caused his heart to seize up.

That night, Ginny found Harry standing over Teddy's crib, watching the small boy sleep. She had been worried about Harry all day and when he disappeared after dinner, she went looking for him. And the look on his face when she found him did nothing to ease her discomfort. His eyes were full of an intense love when he watched his godson but, right now, that was mixed with something much more distressing.

"Harry," she said quietly, so as not to wake the black haired baby. He often fell asleep looking like Harry and Ginny thought it was adorable, wondering if that is what her child would look like.

Harry looked over. "Ginny," he whispered and reached out to take her hand. She let him pull her to the edge of the crib. When the silence dragged on though, she broke it once more.

"Harry, what's wrong? And don't tell me nothing, because I can tell there is something wrong. You've been upset all day."

Harry took one last look at Teddy before dragging her out of the room and down the stairs to her room. She followed silently, waiting for him to speak.

"Oh, Ginny, I'm just worried. I love you so much and I love this baby. But I'm just worried I have ruined all our lives. I mean, are we really ready for this?" Harry looked at her with such emotion in his eyes that she couldn't get upset at him for doubting them.

"Harry, what brought this on?"

"It's just that I overheard your parents talking this morning. And they don't think we can handle it, Ginny. They think they should raise the baby instead of us."

"They said what?" Ginny whispered furiously.

"Well, they have a point. What if I'm a crappy dad? My uncle wasn't much of a role model. And how are we going to take our N.E.W.T.s with a newborn around? We are so young." Ginny began to turn red, her temper growing with each word. "But then I think about it. And I don't know if I could do that." Ginny's temper cooled slightly when Harry laid a hand on her stomach in a caressing fashion. "I don't think I could watch your parents raise our child. I love you both too much. But if I can't give the baby up and I can't be a good parent or finish school, then I feel like I ruined our lives." He looked at the floor as he finished.

"Harry James Potter! You look at me." Ginny kept her voice low but put all the force into she could muster. "I don't care what my parents said. You will be a great dad. And you will finish your N.E.W.T.s. We both will." Her parents' doubts ate away at Ginny's confidence but she hid it while she reassured Harry. "I love you too much for this to ruin our life. This baby is a gift, remember."

Harry nodded and leaned back against her headboard, relaxing a little. Ginny crawled up next to him and curled into his side. His hand rested on her protruding stomach.

Suddenly, Ginny jumped. "Harry! I felt it! The baby moved!" The fluttering sent a shot of confidence back into her shaky foundation. "Oh, Harry, I felt it." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Really?" Harry hugged her tightly. Ginny grabbed his hand and placed it over the spot where the movement was concentrated, pushing down slightly. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Oh, Ginny, I felt it too. At least I think I did. It's really faint." He looked questioningly at her.

"That was it." They looked at each other in wonder. Suddenly, the idea of giving their child to Ginny's parents seemed utterly impossible.

But Harry's sense of security was short lived. The next day was the group's last day before heading back to Hogwarts and Mrs. Weasley was hosting a farewell dinner. Earlier that day, Harry had taken Teddy back to Andromeda and he already missed the boy like crazy. He and Ginny were still reveling in feeling their baby move for the first time and had shared their joy with the world at dinner. Mrs. Weasley had teared up and engulfed Ginny in a bear hug. Unfortunately, the baby seem quiet tonight so they experience remained a private moment between Harry and Ginny.

The only person who hadn't seemed excited by the news was Charlie. Despite what Harry had heard from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley the day before, they were sharing none of their fears with the family and acted just as thrilled as Harry and Ginny were. Charlie, meanwhile, sat quietly throughout the meal and seemed to brood through dessert.

After the food was cleared from the table and the family headed into the living room, Charlie lagged behind, his eyes never leaving Harry's back. Harry leaned over to Ron and whispered, "Hey, what's up with Charlie?"

Ron looked back at his brother. "Dunno." He fell back to talk with the older Weasley. A few minutes later, Ron caught Harry's attention and indicated that he should follow. Charlie led Ron and Harry out to the backyard.

"Hey, what's up?" Harry questioned, unsure of what was going on. Before he even had a chance to blink, Charlie clocked him squarely on the jaw and Harry went down. Eyes watering in pain, he yelled, "What in the name of Merlin's bloody socks was that for?"

Charlie was pacing above him, with Ron looking on in confusion. Finally, Ron spoke up, "What the hell, Charlie? I wouldn't have had Harry come out here if I knew you were going to hit him!"

"Sorry, Ron. He got off easy. Plus, you got to hit him."

"True."

"Okay, so Ron got to hit me and now you did too. Can someone clue me in here?" Harry said, exasperated as he rose to his feet.

"Oh, what do you think?" Charlie spewed back at Harry. "You knocked our sister up. Just because my brothers bought your story doesn't mean I do. And now that Bill isn't here to stop me, I finally got to give you a piece of my mind. Or, really, a piece of my fist." Charlie smiled ruefully. "I mean, for the love of Merlin, Harry, how could you? You are supposed to be this great hero but wait til the world finds out you knocked up your seventeen year old girlfriend!"

Harry, annoyed at constantly defending himself to people who really had no say in the matter, felt his temper rising. "First of all, it wasn't a story. I _do_ love your sister and I _will _be here for this kid! And second of all, I'm not some great hero! I didn't ask for any of this! I didn't ask for Voldemort to kill my parents! I didn't ask to spend my entire adolescence fighting for my life! So I'm not some great hero. I'm just a guy. And your sister and I made a mistake. But we are going to deal with it and we are choosing to be happy about it. Now why don't you quit living in your not-so-righteous indignation and leave me alone!"

"Oh, you love her, do you? Then why don't you marry her, you great prat? You got her pregnant, so if you really plan to stick around, prove it!"

"Ah, well, er, I mean, er, that is, Ginny and I, well, we, er…" Harry sputtered. He had no answer for Charlie. He had been so caught up in everything else, he hadn't even thought of marriage. I mean, he was only 18 years old! But he and Ginny were adults, so why hadn't it crossed his mind? Did Ginny expect him to propose? As Harry stood there, desperately searching for an answer, Charlie spun on his heel and headed back inside.

"Well, he has a point. If you love her, marry her. And it is only fair someone else get to hit you. I shouldn't get all the fun." Ron smiled mischievously and turned and followed Charlie in the house.

Harry stood there, caught up in his thoughts. Finally, after Ron stuck his head back out to see if Harry was coming, he headed back inside, his thoughts swirling around everything that had happened in the past three days.


	12. Chapter 11: Hogwarts Learns

**Chapter 11**

**Hogwarts Learns**

**January**

The next morning, Harry dragged his trunk down the stairs, eager to head back to Hogwarts. He was beginning to feel suffocated under the Weasley's roof. He loved them like they were his own family but the last week had been stressful!

As they all gathered downstairs to head to King's Cross, Harry was surprised by the lack of the usual hustle and bustle a return to Hogwarts usually brought. And if they had needed to drive, they would have surely been late. But as they could now apparate to the station, the morning process had become considerably less stressful. And it had been made even less stressful by the absence of Charlie, who was apparating to Hogsmeade later in the afternoon. So, it was with little uproar, the four students got to King's Cross and onto the Hogwarts Express with time to spare. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley joined them and Mrs. Weasley was no more eager to separate from her children than she had been in September but she nonetheless let them go and they headed north.

On the train, the four quickly found a compartment and settled in. They were playing a game of exploding snap when Neville and Luna showed up.

"Mind if we join?" Neville asked as he opened the compartment door.

"Hey!" Hermione jumped up and moved over, making room for the new arrivals. She noticed Neville's hand in Luna's and smiled excitedly. "Oh my God! When did you guys get together?"

Neville blushed while Luna responded in her normal, breezy voice, "Oh, Neville asked me to Hogsmeade in November. It was really quite sweet." She smiled and sat next to Neville, who was still noticeably red.

"I'm surprised Ginny didn't tell you. She gave me advice about it, actually," Neville said meekly.

Ginny looked up. "Oh, that's right, I did! I had totally forgotten!" Harry looked at her questioningly. "It was, um, when we were fighting," she responded quietly.

"Oh, no! You and Harry were fighting! Why?" Luna looked concerned. Nodding her head, she added, "I bet Harry was bitten by nargals. They can mess with a boy's brain."

Harry bit back his laughter and looked down at his girlfriend, who was laying curled up on the bench, head in his lap. She had a question in her eyes as she looked back at him. Sighing, he said, "Might as well start spreading the news. Not like we can hide it anymore anyway."

Ginny nodded and bite her lip nervously. Without saying a word, she stood up and smoothed her robes out. Luna gasped and Neville stared, wide-eyed. Ron laughed at their response and snapped his fingers in front of their faces, saying "Snap out of it guys!"

Luna was the first to come back to earth. Stating the obvious, she blurted out, "You're pregnant!"

Ginny laughed a little while she sat down. "Yeah. Kinda hard to miss now, isn't it?" Harry wrapped his arm around her and smiled.

Neville finally snapped out of it. "What happened?" Harry looked pointedly at Neville, who promptly blushed. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Ginny and I got careless one night last summer and, well, er, you see the results." Harry shrugged.

"But what are you going to do about it?" Neville asked, wide-eyed.

Harry looked back at his friend, unsure how to answer. He may have decided to stick by Ginny and he may love both her and their baby, but, frankly, he still didn't know the answer to that question. After what Kingsley had told him, he wondered whether it might be safer for them if he did leave them. But then again, that hadn't worked very well when he ditched her to go search for Horcruxes. Then there was what he had heard her parents say. They were the best parents he knew. If they didn't think he could do it, what was the chance he could handle it? And as if that wasn't enough to occupy his brain, Charlie's suggestion that he marry Ginny was still stuck in his brain. As the thoughts swirled in his head, he looked down at his girlfriend, hoping she could answer Neville.

Meanwhile, in Ginny's head, her thoughts were just as unclear. She had been putting on a strong front for months but, in all honesty, she was scared. Sure, it wasn't as bad as when Harry was gone, but the idea of being a mother at 17 still made her want to run for the hills, no matter how she felt about bringing a new life into the world. And what Harry overheard her parents say had done nothing to calm her fears. But looking into her boyfriend's emerald eyes, she hid all of that and said, "Dunno. Guess we'll just figure it out as we go." And with that answer, Harry leaned down and kissed her.

Then Luna added, in her slightly oblivious manner, "And you're not the only one. Did you know, one of the sixth years in Ravenclaw is pregnant too?"

Ginny smiled. "Yeah, I met her at this class we have to take." And with that, conversation quickly moved onto to other gossip from Hogwarts and complaints about the seventh year course load. Inside, Ginny relaxed, knowing that at least her friends and family had not disowned her when they found out she was pregnant. Then again, how could she have ever doubted Neville and Luna, after all they had been through together last year?

That night, after the welcome back feast, Harry and Ginny found themselves sitting by the fire in the common room after most of the other students had gone to bed. It had been a stressful night, as people had noticed Ginny's stomach, along with the stomachs of many of the other pregnant girls, and gossip had been flowing freely since the train had pulled into Hogsmeade, with quite a bit of it loud enough for everyone to hear.

Behind them, there was a loud CRACK and Harry spun, his wand raised, ready to fire and his heart pumping quickly. Near the ground, a short creature stood, a locket gleaming on his chest. Harry lowered his wand and took a few calming breaths.

"Kreacher," he finally said. "What are you doing here?"

"Master told Kreacher to work at Hogwarts. When Master Harry and his friends did not return to Grimmauld Place when they were looking for Master Regulus's locket, Kreacher returned to Hogwarts until Master needed him. Kreacher likes it here. Kreacher also saw Master defeat the Dark Lord at the Battle last year and then Kreacher helped rebuild Hogwarts and has been working here ever since, until Master needs him somewhere else."

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant, what are you doing here, in Gryffindor Tower, right now?"

"Ah, well, Professor McGonagall asked me to give this note to Miss Weasley." He bowed, holding out a scroll. Ginny took it and thanked the house elf. "Is there anything Master needs?"

"Er, no, I don't think so. You can go back to work," Harry answered.

"Thank you, Master Harry!" Kreacher bowed again and dissaparated out of the room with another loud CRACK.

Harry looked down at Ginny, who had opened the scroll. "What is it?"

"It's my next meeting with McGonagall. It's in addition to the class. She said she would meet with me regularly. And the next one is on Tuesday, after dinner." Ginny looked up at Harry. "She said you could come, too. If you wanted."

"Wouldn't be anywhere else." Harry smiled, while secretly dreading talking about such a delicate subject with his former head of house. He could see her disapproving scowl now.

By Tuesday night, the gossip had grown to a fever pitch. Harry, who was used to such attention, ignored it. But Ginny wasn't used to being the object of grapevine chatter and found it quite disconcerting. While they walked up to the Headmistress's office, the whispers came from all sides as people walked past them, heading either to or from the dining hall for dinner.

"I think she's pregnant."

"Maybe she just got really fat."

"Who do you think the father is?"

"Wonder if it's Potter's!"

"Bet she just told Potter it was his and he's too noble to doubt her!"

"Probably thought he could get away with anything after defeating Voldemort!"

As they left the masses of students behind, the gossip faded away. Ginny knew she needed a tougher skin. This was only the beginning. Once the whole Wizarding World found out she was having Harry's baby, the gossip would grow ten-fold.

They reached the gargoyle guarding the staircase to the McGonagall's office and Harry said "Tabby." McGonagall had taken to using cat breeds as her password. When they reached the top of the staircase, the door opened and Harry and Ginny entered. Professor McGonagall, sitting behind her desk, indicated they should sit.

"Mr. Potter. I see you have joined us this time." Harry gave a short nod. "Good. Now, Ms. Weasley, I hope you are feeling well."

"I am."

"And Madame Pomfrey agrees?"

"I see her again on Monday."

"Good. Now, I wanted to talk with you about the gossip. The rest of the school has realized that there are many pregnant students this year and I have heard many of the whispers. And for you, this will be worse, as the entire Wizarding World has an ongoing interest with Mr. Potter. Are you ready for that?"

Ginny looked up at the headmistress and smiled wryly. "Ready? I doubt it. I mean, there was some gossip after the incident in the Chamber of Secrets but that died out quickly thanks to summer break and then Sirius's escape from Azkaban. So this is a little out of my league. But I'll deal with it. It can't be any worse than the Cruciatus, right?" She looked into McGonagall's eyes, a fierce determination burning in her own. Beside her, Harry reached over and squeezed her hand.

McGonagall looked back at them sadly. "If only you weren't able to make that comparison." She sighed. "Alas, you both have been through much in your young lives, so, as you said, it can't be any worse than the torture you have experienced. But I do want you to realize that it will get worse. You have likely not seen even the tip of this iceberg. Merlin knows what will happen when Rita Skeeter finally gets her hands on the story!" McGonagall's eyes flashed in anger at the mention of Skeeter. Then, she turned to look at Harry. "And what about you, Mr. Potter? I haven't seen you since this came to light."

Harry laughed a little. "Well, as far as gossip goes, I have been through much worse. This doesn't even begin to compare."

"True," McGonagall said, nodding slightly.

"So the gossip doesn't really bother me. I'm worried about Ginny though. She has never faced it before. I don't want her hurt by it." He took Ginny's hand again.

"I see. Well, Ms. Weasley is made of tough stuff. Last year, she proved that in a glowing fashion. But still, Ms. Weasley, if it gets too intense, I want you to talk with someone."

"I will. But right now, I can handle it."

"Good. And how are you both dealing with everything else? I assume your family knows by now?"

"Yeah, we told my family over break. Ron has known for a while but everyone else found out over the past few weeks. And they are supportive," she said, then quietly added, "at least to our face."

"Well, nearly everyone." Harry reached up to touch his left eye, where Charlie had bruised him. Thankfully, George had shared some of his magical cream to remove the purple blotch. "I'm glad I don't take Care of Magical Creatures this year, that's all I'm saying. The less interaction I have with Charlie, the better!" Ginny laughed and agreed.

"Yes, well, we must count our blessings." McGonagall smiled slightly. "I have one more thing to discuss with you before I release you. It is about your housing arrangements Ms. Weasley. There are some smaller dorms that are unused in Gryffindor Tower. Actually each house has spare dorms. The smaller ones are being converted for your use. You will move into one later this month. Now, I want to make it clear, this is not an invitation for you and Harry to have fun. You have had quite enough of that. This is to be your dorm, not his. Do you both understand?"

The two students nodded. "Good. Now, Ms. Weasley, you are free to leave. I will be seeing you again several more times and if you need to talk with me, please do not hesitate to ask. However, Potter, I would ask that you remain behind."

Ginny stood up to leave, while Harry stayed, looking confused.

"Now, Potter, I wanted to talk to you separately," McGonagall said once Ginny had shut the office door. "How are you really handling everything?"

Harry thought about his initial panic when he had found out about the pregnancy and how he wanted just one year without responsibility sitting on his shoulders. He thought about how he was afraid his only role model for fatherhood was Uncle Vernon, even though he knew on some level that he also had stories of his own father, time with his godfather, time with Lupin, time with Dumbledore, and time with Mr. Weasley. He thought about the conversation he had overheard between Mr. and Mrs. Weasley which had him doubting himself even more than he had been before and he thought about how Charlie had questioned his intentions towards Ginny and their baby and how he had no answer for those questions. He thought about all those things but when he looked up at his professor who, along with Dumbledore, had most prominently shaped his life at Hogwarts and whom he didn't want to disappoint any more than he wanted to disappoint the Weasleys, he found himself unable to voice any of those thoughts. Instead, just as he had six years ago when Dumbledore had questioned him during the Chamber of Secrets attacks, he kept his concerns to himself and looked back at McGonagall with a blank face and said, "I'm fine."

A slightly doubtful expression on her face, she responded, "Are you sure, Potter? After everything you have been through, it would be perfectly acceptable if you were not fine."

"No, really, I'm fine."

Still looking like she didn't quite believe him, she nonetheless let the subject go and moved on. "Fine then. I just wanted to have a chance to talk with you before I let you go. Since you have no parents and I'm sure your Aunt and Uncle do not care, I felt someone needed to step up here and give you a talking too. I am disappointed in you Potter. I thought you had more sense to become a teen parent. I know you have grown up very fast but I would have liked to see you get some semblance of a childhood, even if it came at 18. Instead, you have jumped right into life and now there is no turning back." She looked at him sternly, "And I do mean no turning back. You may be the savior of the Wizarding World, Potter, but in this office, you are simply my student, albeit one I care about deeply." Harry blushed at this. "I expect you to accept the consequences of what you have done. You will not shrink your responsibility to this child or to Ginny, or you will have me to answer to and you do not want that Potter. Do you understand me?"

Harry looked down at his shoes. It seemed he had disappointed everyone who he had left in the world but he was determined to not do so again. "I understand, Professor. And trust me, I am never leaving Ginny again." He looked up, determination flashing in his eyes.

McGonagall smiled. "Good. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I wanted you to know that I am choosing to be happy for you. This could have happened at a better age but that is beside the point now. You have wanted a family for many years and now you have one. Take care of them."

Harry looked back at her and responded solemnly, "I will."

"Then that is all Potter. You may go."

Harry stood to leave. Before he got to the door, however, he turned back. "Professor?" McGonagall looked back up from her desk. "I don't know if the Minister has spoken with you about the threats against me."

"Yes, he has told me about the general threats, as well as the specific one's against you. We discussed it when we increased the security around the school."

Harry nodded. "I figured. I just want to make sure Ginny is protected. I have already seen too many people die for me." McGonagall started to speak but Harry cut her off. "I know their deaths weren't my fault. At least I understand that and I'm sure in time I will fully believe it. But the point I was making is that I couldn't handle it if anyone else died, especially not Ginny or the baby."

"I understand Potter. I will make sure the school is well protected. Kingsley also told me that there will be Aurors in Hogsmeade whenever the students have a weekend there."

"Good. Thank you professor." He turned to go.

"And Potter," Harry turned back around. "Remember, Ms. Weasley's dorm is her own." She smiled with a shrewd look in her eye.

"Of course, professor," Harry responded innocently.


	13. Chapter 12: Skeeter's Story

**A/N: I know, I'm mean. I haven't updated in a week! I have been suffering from that bane that plagues all writers at one point or another: writer's block! Alas, it is hard to overcome. But overcome it, I have! And thus, here is your next chaper**

**Remember, REVIEW! Reviews get me all excited, which helps with the writer's block!**

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**Chapter 12**

**Skeeter's Story**

**February**

On February 1st, Harry woke to sunlight streaming through the window onto his face. As he stretched, his movement was stopped by a soft, warm body. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around Ginny, who was still sound asleep, snoring slightly. Contrary to McGonagall's strict instructions, Harry had spent nearly every night in Ginny's room.

He slipped his glasses on and slowly got up, careful to leave his girlfriend undisturbed. The room was small, with just two beds, although there was space for three. The third, however, had been removed in preparation for a crib and changing table. Not ready to think about what the crib came with, Harry ignored the empty space and left the room, heading back to his own dorm.

When he got there, Ron was sitting on his bed, waiting for Harry to arrive. Neville, Dean, and Seamus had already gone downstairs for breakfast so the room was otherwise deserted. However, the peaceful space was quickly disturbed when Harry walked through the door. No sooner had it shut behind him when he found himself suddenly hanging by his left ankle from the ceiling, Ron's wand pointed at his chest.

"Bloody hell, Ron!"

Ron smiled evilly at Harry. Innocently, he asked, "And where were you last night, Harry?"

"Shove it! You bloody well know where I was Ronald!"

"Language, Harry." Ron maintained his innocent tone, his wand never wavering in its aim. "And how would I know where you were? Because the only place I can come up with is one where you surely weren't. After all, there is no way you could possibly by sleeping with my little sister."

Harry sighed. "Blimey, Ron. Are we back to that? Of course I was with Ginny. It's not like it's a secret that we have slept together. Kinda hard to hide. And it's not like anything else can happen at this point!" Ron's innocent look became quite menacing. Harry, rushing to calm his best friend, added, "But we didn't do anything! I swear, Ron. We just slept!"

"Just remember, Potter. You may be my best mate but she's my sister. And you better not hurt her again." With that, he walked out of the room, waving his wand silently as he passed Harry. Harry fell with a loud _thump_ onto the floor and grabbed his wand, which had fallen out of his pocket when he was dangling upside down.

"Shouldn't have taught him levicorpus!" Harry muttered to the empty room, smiling ruefully.

However, when Harry got down to breakfast, Ron became the least of his problems. Ginny sat down next to him just as the Hermione was paying the owl who delivered the Daily Prophet. As she was piling food onto her plate, Hermione, head hidden behind the paper, muttered, "Oh, for Merlin's sake!"

Harry looked up as Ron peaked over Hermione's shoulder to see what had upset her. "Bloody hell!" he said, mimicking Harry's earlier expletive.

"What?"

Hermione looked at Harry across the table and just handed him the paper. Opening it, Harry immediately saw what had drawn the outburst from his friends.

_Baby on the Way for The Boy Who Lived_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Harry Potter, known to many as the Boy Who Lived and the Savior of the Wizarding World has fallen from grace, not even a year after defeated He-Who-Must-Be-Named, a feat which many say was nothing more than an accident (for full details, see Harry Potter's Greatest Achievement Debunked? on page 4). The eighteen year old Hogwarts student, who is repeating his N.E.W.T. year, has already brought his reputation into question after dropping out for unknown reasons last year (Potter claims to have been working to defeat You-Know-Who although no one can confirm or deny this and he was not seen for months until showing up at Hogwarts just in time for the Final Battle). Now, he has found himself in yet another nasty bit of trouble. He has knocked up fellow student and ex-girlfriend, Ginny Weasley (17)._

_This is not the first time Potter has found himself in trouble. At the age of 12, he was sent a warning letter by the Ministry of Magic for performing underage magic in front of muggles during the summer holidays. That same year, he was caught up in the scandal which enveloped Hogwarts when the Chamber of Secrets was reportedly opened. The next year, he was present when mass murderer Sirius Black escaped from capture for a second time and was accused of aiding Black in his escape. Everyone will remember young Potter's fourth year at Hogwarts, when he hoodwinked the Goblet of Fire into accepting him into the TriWizard Tournament, in what this reporter feels was a scheme for more yet even more infamous glory. And, as if he had not had enough trouble, Potter was seen fleeing the scene moments after Albus Dumbledore fell to his death from a Hogwarts tower. The ministry sought out Potter for questioning but could not find him. It seems this young man has a penchant for trouble that should concern many of the Wizarding World. _

_Sources have also confirmed that Harry deserted his child's mother upon hearing the news that he was to be a father, further adding to his tumultuous history with women. Readers will remember his ill-fated relationship with Hermione Granger during the TriWizard Tournament. Potter was thrown over by Granger in favor of Victor Krum, causing much grief in the midst of the trying time for our young hero. This is not his first time out with Ms. Weasley either. The two dated before she left him on the eve of You-Know-Who's rise to power. Perhaps Potter saw this as a form of revenge against the girl who once stomped on his heart._

_The Wizarding World will surely want to protect this child from the man-hunting life-style of its mother and the fame-seeking behavior of its father. No word yet on the gender of the Savior's child but we must all hope that the baby will not suffer at the hands of these teen parents._

After reading the article, Harry crushed the paper in his fist.

"It's not like they would never find out, Harry," Hermione said quietly.

Ginny carefully extracted the paper from Harry's hand and glanced through the article. Smirking, she said, "At least she got my name right."

"I'm sorry Ginny. I wish you didn't have to read that. Why can't they just leave me alone?" Harry dropped his head onto his arms on the table.

Ginny reached over and took his hand. "Harry, you killed Voldemort. You saved the whole Wizarding World. Plus, you are still the only person to survive the killing curse. Twice. Maybe at some point it will die down but, face it, you're a big deal. Even bigger than Lockhart." She poked him with her free hand at the reference to the old DADA professor.

Without lifting his head, he turned to look at her, smiling. "Oh, come on. Surely Lockhart was bigger! I mean, he won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award five times!" Harry said with mock reverence.

Ginny laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Hate to break it to you Harry, but you've won that three times already!" Harry groaned and hit his head against the table.

Ron laughed at his friend's distress. "Come on, mate! You gotta keep up with your press. How could you not know that? Don't you read Witch Weekly?" he teased his friend.

Harry eyed Ron with the same contemptuous look that Ron had bestowed upon him just an hour earlier. Ron, though, just laughed.

Finally, Hermione said, "Come on guys. We better get to Charms." The group got up and headed out of the hall. Despite the jokes, Harry knew that he needed to be on his guard. The world now knew about him and Ginny and the Death Eaters would be sure to follow.

The day took a drastic turn when McGonagall came rushing up to the four right outside their Charms classroom. She nodded to Flitwick, who was standing just inside the door. "Sorry, Professor, but I need these four. Weasley, Weasley, Potter, Granger, follow me."

They looked quickly at each other then set off after the Headmistress. When they reached her office, Charlie was inside, waiting for them. The four moved over to stand by the elder Weasley and McGonagall finally turned back around to look at them.

"Molly has just informed me that Angelina Johnson has gone into labor and was taken to St. Mungo's." The ten eyes facing her widened at the news. "She has asked that you all join the family there. Normally, we would not allow students to leave the grounds like this but this is a special case. We all miss Fred dearly and you four have given more to this school than should ever have been required of you so I am inclined to grant this request. That is, if you do not mind missing your courses?"

Ginny spoke up quickly. "We don't mind, professor! We want to be there." Harry and Ron nodded. Hermione looked hesitant at the idea of skipping class but then, too, nodded.

McGonagall smiled. "Good." Looking at Charlie, she added, "Hagrid will take your classes while you are gone." He nodded in agreement. "Okay, then, let's get you over there." She took her pot of Floo Powder off the mantle and held it out to the group. Ginny walked up first, taking a handful and throwing it into the fire. Stepping in, she said, "St. Mungo's." and spun away. The others followed quickly behind her.

When Harry stepped out of the gate in the hospital lobby, Ginny grabbed his arm to steady him then dragged him off towards the front desk, Ron, Hermione, and Charlie following close behind.

"We are looking for Angelina Johnson. She is having a baby!" Ginny told the welcome witch manning the desk after they finally reached it.

The witch consulted the parchment in front of her. "First floor, room 107." The four friends headed off.

When the group got to the waiting room near Angelina's room, they were enveloped by Weasleys. The only three missing were George, Angelina, and Mrs. Weasley. After a round of hugs, Mr. Weasley told the group they could go in to see Angelina in groups of two. Harry and Ginny went first, leaving the rest of the family to talk.

When they reached room 107, they knocked on the door and heard Mrs. Weasley call out, "Come in!"

Ginny opened the door slowly and peeked her head through. "Hey, mum, George, Angelina. How's it going?"

Angelina gestured for them to come in and they walked over to the bed. Harry was amazed by how much larger Angelina had gotten in just the month since the New Year. His former teammate was laying on the bed, sweat coating her face and plastering strands of hair to her cheeks. She had shadows under her eyes but her eyes themselves sparkled with anticipation.

Before Angelina had a chance to answer Ginny's earlier question, Mrs. Weasley engulfed Harry and Ginny in a bear hug. "Mum! You're suffocating us!" Ginny squealed.

Pulling back quickly, she said, "Sorry! I'm just so glad Minerva let you come! Is everyone else here?"

"Yeah. Ron, Hermione, and Charlie will be in after we leave."

Mrs. Weasley nodded at Ginny's response. Then she looked her daughter up and down. "Oh, my dear! You've gotten so much bigger!" Ginny blushed while Harry moved back a little. He had discovered the other day that Ginny did _not_ like people mentioning her size. He had been forced to suffer her bat-boogey hex and did not want to be in the line of fire again! However, to his surprise, she did not erupt at her mother, but rather smiled shyly.

"I know. He's moving around a lot more now too!" she told her mother. "But today's not about Harry and me!" Turning back to Angelina, who had been lying, forgotten on the bed, she asked again, "So, how's it going?"

Angelina grimaced. "You don't want to know. Trust me." Ginny cringed a little. Then Angelina laughed. "Don't worry. It's too late to turn back now. And I've been told that I'll forget as soon as I see my baby. I just hope they're right! Plus, one more centimeter and I can have a dose of Agony-Easer!" Before she could go on, though, her eyes widened a little and her hand clamped down on George's who was sitting next to her.

He immediately came to attention and soothed Angelina. "Just breath slowly. Relax and breath." He spoke the calming mantra repeatedly while Angelina grimaced with the pain and then, at long last, let out a slow breath as she relaxed.

"That is bloody painful!" Ginny, who had gripped Harry's hand in a death-grip that rivaled Angelina's grip on George, let out a strained laugh. Angelina looked up at her friend with sympathy. "I'm told it's worth it, if it helps." She smiled a little.

Ginny placed her hand protectively on her stomach. "I'm sure it is. Doesn't make it any easier right now!"

"Tell me about it. Mrs. Weasley, I really don't know how you did this six times! I've only been at this for four hours and I'm exhausted!"

"Oh, trust me, dear. Once they give you the Agony-Easer, everything gets a lot better!" Mrs. Weasley smiled knowingly.

Angelina grasped George's hand again as the group saw her body tense up again. After she finally relaxed back onto the pillows, she looked up at Mrs. Weasley and said, "It cannot come soon enough!"

After this, Ginny and Harry said their goodbyes, heading back out to the waiting room so that the others could visit the mother-to-be.


	14. Chapter 13: Dursleys Attacked

**Chapter 13**

**Dursleys Attacked**

**February**

By that evening, the waiting room was full of impatient redheads, along with Harry, Hermione, and Fleur. George and Mrs. Weasley were still in with Angelina so the remaining nine witches and wizards were settled in to the waiting room for the long haul. At the moment, the room was otherwise wonderfully empty, leaving them with some privacy. However, over the course of the day, the room had been packed, as many others waited to welcome new members to their families. Harry had even overheard two healers talking, saying they had never seen it so busy before.

Now, though, the Weasleys were alone, waiting for news. Fleur and Ginny had long ago transfigured two of the waiting room chairs into couches so they could lie down, as the hard chairs were not fit for two women who were eight and six months pregnant. After so many hours, though, even the transfigured couches were getting uncomfortable. Plus, they were hungry!

Just as Ginny and Fleur had convinced Harry and Bill to go to the tea room to get them food, Mrs. Weasley and George came bursting into the waiting room, halting the two men just as they were about to leave out the opposite door. Mrs. Weasley was beaming but George spoke up first.

"It's a boy!" he exclaimed. "A little boy named Fred!" He smiled at his family, a smile that had not been seen nearly enough since the Battle of Hogwarts.

Mr. Weasley was the first to reach his wife and son and engulfed both in a hug. "When can I see my new grandson?"

"Soon," Mrs. Weasley said. "They are just cleaning up little Fred and Angelina. Then, you can see them in small groups." She was smiling tiredly but her eyes glowed with energy and excitement.

Everyone took turns hugging George and Mrs. Weasley and then George headed back to Angelina, while Mrs. Weasley organized the family into small groups to go meet the newest member of the family.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were the last to visit the new mom. When they walked in, Angelina was lying on the bed, shadows under her eyes but a smile on her face. George walked up to the group, a blanket-wrapped bundle in his arms.

"Oh, George," Ginny whispered, reaching out to take the baby. "Hi, Freddie," she cooed at the baby in her arms, tears filling her eyes. "I'm your Auntie Ginny." Harry put his arms around her as the tears spilled out onto her cheeks. Harry was utterly captivated by the image of a baby in Ginny's arms, unable to tear his eyes away from her.

Looking up at her brother, Ginny whispered, "Oh, George. Fred sent us a gift. A wonderful gift. In a little way, he is still with us."

Eyes full of tears, George looked down on his twin brother's son, whispering, "He will never be gone. Freddie here will always keep him with us." George's eyes twinkled mischievously. "He can be my new partner in crime."

As the family gathered around Ginny and the baby, a healer walked in. When Ginny handed the baby back to George, who still had tears in his eyes, the healer looked up. "Ah, an emotional daddy."

George started, quickly looking up at the healer. Speaking fast, he said, "No, I'm the uncle. My brother is his dad. He's…"

Angelina spoke up, interrupting George. "No, George. Fred is his father but you will be his dad. Freddie needs a dad and who better than his father's twin brother. Together, we can make sure he knows Fred but has the love of a daddy." George walked over to her bed and sat down next to her and, together they looked down on the small newborn.

Explaining, Ron told the healer, "Our brother died at the Battle of Hogwarts." The healer nodded, a sad look filling her eyes. She turned and when back to her work. The four Hogwarts' students stayed a few moments longer, but then left, not wanting to disturb the new family as mum, dad, and baby sat in an emotional trance on the bed.

Since it was Friday, the group was going to go back to the Burrow for the night rather than returning to school. Once everyone had seen Freddie, Mrs. Weasley had demanded that everyone go home. Bill and Fleur were the first to leave, as Fleur was exhausted and hungry. Charlie, who had to get back to Hogwarts and wasn't able to stay, left not long after them.

Finally, Mr. Weasley suggested that they all head out, though Mrs. Weasley was staying a little longer. As the group of five headed to the exit so they could apparate to the Burrow, Harry kept his arm wrapped around Ginny, who was looking tired.

The moment they stepped into the lobby, they were bombarded by camera flashes and reporters' questions.

"Harry, is it true you are going to be a father?"

"Arthur, how do you feel about your teenage daughter having the Chosen One's child?"

"Is Harry really the father?"

"Ms. Granger, are you hurt by Harry's actions?"

"Harry, were you here for the birth of other illegitimate children?"

"Is it true you have already have a child with a muggle?"

"Are you and Ms. Weasley getting married?"

Trying their best to ignore the reporters, they pushed through to the entrance. Just as they got there, they met Kingsley, who was just entering.

"Ah, Harry. I was hoping you would still be here. Minerva said you had come here with the Weasleys."

"Yeah, Angelina just had her baby. Did you need something, Kingsley?"

"I need to talk with you." Looking around, he added, "But perhaps this is not the best place."

"No. We are heading back to the Burrow if you want to join us." He looked to Mr. Weasley to make sure it was alright with him.

"Of course. You can meet us there, Kingsley," Mr. Weasley easily agreed.

"The Burrow, then," Kingsley said.

When they got to the Burrow, they gathered in the kitchen, eager to make a quick round of sandwiches, as they had not eaten in hours. Once they were all sitting around the table, stuffing their faces with the food, Kingsley spoke up.

"Harry, I need to speak with you."

"It's okay Kingsley. We can talk here."

"If you're sure. Well, I'm afraid I have some bad news." Harry stopped eating and gave the Minister his full attention. "There was an attack on your aunt and uncle. They moved back to Privet Drive after the war ended but we have left a few aurors behind to protect them, given the threats against you by the Death Eaters. So, luckily, no one was hurt. Only your aunt was home. Your uncle was at work and your cousin was away at university. One of the aurors removed your aunt to safety while the others captured the Death Eaters."

"Good. I mean, I may not like them, but I wouldn't want them hurt because they took me in, however unwillingly."

"Yes. Well, the attack is the first active threat that we have had against you or your family. So we believe that the Death Eaters are beginning their attacks. We are stepping up the protection around the Weasleys, Andromeda and Teddy, Hogwarts, as well as your aunt and uncle."

"Good. Thanks for letting me know."

"Of course, Harry." With that, Kingsley stood. He was halfway to the door when he turned around. "Oh, I almost forgot. I have two letters for you. One from your aunt and one from your cousin. They didn't know how to get them to you so they gave them to me when I visited them after the attack." He held out the letters and Harry reached up to grab them.

"Thanks," he said, unsure of what to make of the letters.

After finishing their food, the group all went their separate ways. Mr. Weasley headed out to his workshop, while Ron and Hermione headed upstairs. Harry and Ginny went into the family room and relaxed into the couch.

Looking down at his pregnant girlfriend who was leaning back on him, Harry said, reverently, "You looked beautiful holding Freddie. Absolutely beautiful." When she looked up at him, he leaned down and kissed her. He looked at her, still not quite grasping that in three months, that would be their baby she was holding. It all still seemed like an abstract concept to him.

Ginny smiled up at him but then sat up and turned to look at him. "Harry, are you going to read the letters?"

Harry pulled the two envelopes from his pocket and stared at them. "I don't know. I don't know if I want to know what they say."

"It's okay, Harry. Whichever way you decide, it's okay. But I really think that you will never be able to get it out of your mind if you don't read them."

"Maybe. But I'm going to think about it. I'm just not sure yet."

Ginny nodded and then leaned back into Harry. Within minutes, he heard her breath even out as she fell asleep in his arms. Harry, though, was caught up in a swirling mix of thoughts.

However, by the time Mrs. Weasley got home, Harry had joined Ginny and was sound asleep on the couch. Conjuring up blankets, she covered her daughter and Harry, then went off in search of husband to bring him to bed.

Harry's sleep, though, was not nearly as peaceful as Ginny's.

_Harry sat crunched into the cupboard under the stairs on Privet Drive. The room was smaller than he remembered so his knees were crushed against his chest. Through the open door, his uncle stood above him, yelling at him, telling him he was a waste of space. Behind him, his aunt stood nodding in agreement, muttering "Worthless, just like his father." Dudley stood nearby, watching the scene unfold as he ripped apart a chicken leg with his teeth._

_Harry just sat there, the spit from his uncle's rants spraying down on his face. Maybe he really was worthless. After all, if it hadn't been for him, his mum and dad would still be alive. Sirius would still be alive. Dobby would still be alive. Dumbledore would still be alive. Fred, Remus, and Tonks would still be alive. Harry brought death to those he loved. Maybe it would have been better if he had never existed. _

_Suddenly, the floor beneath him opened up and he was falling. Down. Down. Down. Finally, he landed with a thud on a dusty floor in a dark room. Looking around, he realized he was in the Shrieking Shack. He heard a noise behind him and, when he spun around, he saw two masked Death Eaters holding Ron and Hermione, their wands pointed straight at his friends' chests._

"_Noooooo!" Harry screamed. But Ron and Hermione didn't seem to hear him. They just stared at him. No matter how hard Harry tried, he couldn't move from his spot. It felt like his body had been petrified. Unable to stop it, he watched as green light shot from the ends of the Death Eaters wands and hit Ron and Hermione right in the heart. He watched as his best friends in the world crumbled to the ground, dead. He heard a high pitched laugh. Turning his head, he saw Tom Riddle walk through a door to the left. When Harry saw Ginny marching in front of him, his heart stopped. _

_Riddle had his wand aimed at Ginny's stomach. Cackling in the silence, Riddle said softly, "I couldn't kill you but I can kill your child! This baby will not be able to escape my wrath!" And as Harry watched green light shot from Voldemort's wand and hit Ginny, who collapse on the floor next to Ron and Hermione._

_Harry, finally released from his hold, rushed forward to catch her. He held her, crying out, "Ginny, Ginny, Ginny," as Riddle laughed loudly in the background._

"_Harry!"_

"_Oh Ginny, no!"_

"_Harry!"_

Ginny shook Harry's shoulders, trying to wake him. He was thrashing on the floor by the couch. "Harry!" Finally, he stopped moving and opened his eyes. Ginny saw they were full of tears. As soon as he saw her, he reached up and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh, Ginny. I promise, I won't ever let anything happen to you or our child. I promise!"

"Harry," Ginny said soothingly, trying to calm her boyfriend. "Harry, it's okay. We're fine." Placing his hand on her stomach, she added, "We are _both_ fine."

Holding her tightly, Harry finally relaxed. Slowly, his breathing evened out and he fell back to sleep. Ginny, however, stayed up for a little longer, watching her boyfriend sleep. She was worried about him. He had not had nightmares in weeks and she hoped tonight was just a one-time relapse.


	15. Chapter 14: Letters From Family

**A/N: So, February has gone nuts! So much is crammed in this short month that the plot just up and ran away from me. So you get not one, but two extra chapters! And I thought November was long...**

**Here is the first extra and the other one will be posted soon! Remember, _REVIEW!_ That way I know that, while the plot may have a mind of its own, the story hasn't gotten away from me!**

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**Chapter 14**

**Letters From Family**

**February**

The next morning, Harry woke before Ginny. Wanting to let her sleep, he slipped out of her arms and walked over to sit in the chair by the wireless set staring in awe at his sleeping girlfriend, her arm draped over her bulging stomach, her face relaxed, looking much younger than her 17 years. She looked so young, Harry couldn't believe they would be parents in only a few short months.

To be honest, he couldn't even believe he was sitting here. It seemed like life was playing a big joke on him. Sometimes, it seemed like only yesterday he was fighting Quirrell for the stone or pulling Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets after destroying Riddle's diary. It was only a year and a half ago that he, Ron, and Hermione had left their loved ones for their quest to destroy Horcruxes. And it was only nine months ago that he had finally fulfilled his destiny, defeating Voldemort in a one-on-one battle in the Great Hall. Even now, he couldn't really believe it was over.

And, really, it wasn't over. Harry pulled out the letters in his pocket. Just yesterday, Death Eaters had attacked his aunt. It wouldn't be long before they were mobilized to make a move on those he loved in the Wizarding World.

He stared at the letters in his hand. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what they had to say. In many ways, his life was much better without them. But, willingly or not, knowingly or not, they had protected him for 17 years and now were targets because of him.

Making the decision quickly, he set the letter from Dudley down and opened the one from Aunt Petunia. Taking a deep breath and stealing himself, he began to read it.

_Dear Harry,_

_I really don't know what I'm writing or why I'm writing it. You have brought nothing but trouble and danger to my family. And yet, I feel like I need to write you. You need to know what I have to say, what I wanted to say but was too scared to say that day we all went our separate ways two summers ago._

_You should know I loved my sister, your mother, very much. But she was everything I wanted to be and I was jealous. And then I lost her, without ever making up with her. And you showed up on our doorstep, with her eyes. I hated you for it._

_I know I should have stopped Vernon. He was cruel to you. But he was my husband and I loved my family and you were a threat to my family. And so, I joined him rather than stopping him. I couldn't face what had happened with me and Lily and I took it out on you. I am sorry. I don't expect forgiveness but I am sorry._

_I know I will likely never see you again, and I'm not sure that is a bad thing. Vernon still hates you and, while I wanted you to know this, I am not sure I am ready to see you. Your eyes still haunt me in my dreams, your and Lily's eyes. _

_What I really wanted to tell you is that you are a better person than I am. We were horrible to you. You suffered greatly at our hand, all because you had gifts that made us uncomfortable. But all those months in hiding with two of your kind made me realize you were not evil, your gifts were not evil. And it was those gifts which protected us. After everything we put you through, you could have left us to fend for ourselves and I wouldn't have blamed you. But you have given us protection and for that I am grateful._

_Whether or not we ever see each other again, you should know. You are a better person than anyone else I know._

_Your grateful aunt,_

_Petunia_

Harry reread the letter twice more before believing his eyes. His aunt was grateful to him and thought he was a good person? That explained why it was so hard for her to look him in the eyes when he was little. He wasn't sure how he felt after reading the letter. Rather than analyze his feelings, something he was never eager to do, he slit open Dudley's letter.

_Harry – _

_I'm not great at this writing thing but I didn't know how else to get to you. I wanted to say I'm sorry about how I acted when we were growing up. I was a bully. I know my parents were mean to you but I should have been different. You saved my life – or my soul, whatever (Hestia Jones tried to explain it last year. The Dementor things take your soul? I still don't really understand). And you did it after everything._

_I tried to let you know I didn't hate you but you spent so little time with my family after that summer. But I don't hate you, Harry. In fact, just that opposite. Sometime last year, while Dedalus and Hestia were protecting us and telling us all the stories about what you had gone through since going off to your school, I realized I was proud you were my cousin. Your life actually got worse after you went off to be with your own kind and yet, you still came out as a guy who would save the life (I know, soul!) of his bully._

_Anyway, I just wanted you to know. I would really like to catch up if you would be willing to. They told us you defeated the Voldy guy. I really want to know how it happened! Plus, I had fun with Dedalus and Hestia. Maybe wizards aren't so bad. _

_ -Dudley _

Now, Harry _really_ didn't believe his eyes. Dudley wanted to be friends? Who would have seen that coming all those years ago! Harry wasn't sure he was ready for that. Dudley may think his life had gotten worse after joining the Wizarding World and it had definitely gotten more dangerous. But it hadn't gotten worse. Looking across the room at his girlfriend, he thought about his adopted family, for that is what they all were. His life had gotten more dangerous, but not worse. He had friends who went through everything right by his side, friends who had become his family. And that made all the difference. It made him realize what he had been missing with the Dursleys and he didn't know if he could forgive his cousin so easily.

Folding the letters back up, he tucked them back in his pocket. He definitely wasn't ready to see Petunia yet, and by the sounds of it, neither was she. But he would think about Dudley. Dudley had really tried in those last two summers. Maybe they could build something from that. But not yet. Right now, he just wanted to curl up in the chair and watch Ginny sleep. He could watch her for hours.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione remained at the Burrow through Sunday afternoon. They visited Angelina in at St. Mungo's once more on Saturday and they stopped by George's flat over the store in Diagon Alley on Sunday to see how the new family was settling in after Angelina and Freddie were released. Then, they took the Floo Network back to McGonagall's office and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

When they climbed through the portrait hole, Neville ambushed them.

"Where were you guys? All McGonagall would tell me is that you were fine! And I know Charlie was gone on Friday but I saw him at the Staff Table at breakfast on Saturday. But you lot never showed!"

"Neville, calm down!" Hermione gushed. "We were at St. Mungo's. Angelina had her baby!"

"Oh." Neville flopped down on the nearest chair. Then he looked up. "Oh! Is she alright? Was it a boy or girl?"

"Boy. They named him Fred, Jr. We're calling him Freddie." Ron smiled while talking of his first nephew.

"Cool!" Neville beamed up at his friends. "We should go tell Luna! She was worried too and this is great news!" So they set off to find her and share their joy. After finding Luna, they spent the rest of the day catching up on the homework they had missed, immersing themselves in their massive piles of work.

The next morning, the group bounded down to breakfast, still excited by Freddie's birth, so much so that the piles of work that still were waiting for them upstairs couldn't even dampen their spirits. When the Daily Prophet arrived, Harry wasn't even bothered by the story suggesting that he had fathered many illegitimate children over the years and that he had welcomed his newest kid over the weekend at St. Mungo's. In fact, he thought the suggestion was rather funny and nearly did a spit-take with his pumpkin juice as Hermione read a particularly far-fetched section of the story, involving a rather rude centaur, out loud.

A few minutes after Hermione had put down the Daily Prophet, the regular round of mail arrived, with owls swooping down throughout the Great Hall. Harry started when many of them landed on the table in front of him and Ginny. All four of them started detaching letters from the owls as yet even more landed, causing many of the other students in the hall to stand and peer over at them.

Once all the letters were lying on the table in front of them, Harry noticed they were all addressed to him or Ginny. Grabbing one with this name on it, he slit it open and quickly read it. "Well, we've actually got some well-wishers. This lady says Skeeter is nuts and she hopes we are happy and thinks there are no better parents." He shook his head in disbelief.

Ginny, who had opened another, said, "Not everyone is happy. This lady accuses me of trapping you. She has a few choice words about how I treated the savior of the Wizarding World. Oh, mum would wash her mouth out with soap for these!"

The four of them started opening letters and laughing at some of the things people were saying. Some were happy but most were quite judgmental. Ginny seemed to be cast as a manipulative vixen in many of the letters.

"Oh!" screeched Ron as he slit open a letter. In a split second, he had dropped the envelope onto his plate and leaped away from the table. Oozing off his plate was what looked like undiluted bubotuber puss, a substance they recognized all too well from their fourth year, when Hermione had received a letter full of it after Rita Skeeter published the article saying she had been dating Harry and Krum.

"Don't touch it, Ron!" Hermione advised as the rest of them backed away from the table.

Ron rolled his eyes at his girlfriend. "No, really, Hermione, I thought I would wash my hands in it!" Hermione scoffed.

Harry looked over at Ginny, grateful she hadn't been the one to open the letter. "Okay, so I say we don't open any more of these. Really, I don't know why did in the first place. We should really have learned our lesson long ago!"

"Yeah. Agreed," Hermione said. Looking at Ron with concern, she asked, "You're sure you didn't get any on you?"

"Hermione, I would feel it if I had. You know better than anyone how much it hurts!" He held his hands out for her inspection. "See, all clean." Hermione looked them over then hugged Ron tightly.

"I don't care what they have to say about us anyway." Ginny wrapped her arms around her stomach. Harry wrapped his arms around her. "Good or bad, it doesn't matter. And I'm not too eager to see what anyone else may have stuffed in there!" She cringed a little.

"Just be grateful you didn't get a Howler!" Ron said, a grin spreading across his face. Hermione laughed, the sound muffled because her head was still buried in Ron's chest.

"Oh, don't even joke about that!" Ginny said, smiling too.

Harry smiled along with them but, inside, his mind was racing. As if he needed another thing to worry about, he was reminded yet again that he couldn't protect her from everything. And what made it worse is that she would beat him about the head if she knew he was even trying.


	16. Chapter 15: The Unexpected Question

**A/N: Phew! I finally got through February. No wonder I had writer's block last week. This month was insane! And wait til you see what I did to end it! Read on! And review! Let me know what you think! This one was a lot of fun to write so let me know if it was a good read!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**The Unexpected Question**

**February**

The week got progressively worse for Harry. While Ginny had chosen to ignore the hate mail and continue on with her life, Harry was having a much harder time. And as his stress level grew, he turned inward more and more. He knew Ginny was getting upset with him because he was pulling away. He had even started sleeping in his own dorm, which made Ron very happy but Ginny furious. His nightmares had returned, leaving him thrashing throughout the night but unwilling to go find Ginny for help, like he had before. Hermione was trying to keep Ginny calm, reminding her that Harry brooded like this all the time. Ron and Hermione were very familiar with it.

While Harry didn't want to upset Ginny, he couldn't help it. Their coursework has been building at an alarming rate and he was barely keeping up with it. The brief honeymoon that Freddie's birth had brought about had quickly faded away as they were inundated with more work than Harry thought was even possible. He was worried about the effect all this work was having on Ginny, who he sometimes found sleeping on piles of papers in the corner of the common room. Then there was Quidditch. The Ravenclaw-Slytherin game was in a week and then Gryffindor would play Hufflepuff a few weeks after that, meaning Harry had begun to restart quidditch practices with the team. Plus, this would be the first game without Ginny, and he felt even more pressure to get the team back into the same shape that it was in at the start of the year, when everything seemed to run like clockwork.

But what was really bothering Harry had nothing to do with school or quidditch. His life was once again caught up in a web of threats and dangers, only this time, he had dragged Ginny into it with him. Ginny and her whole family, his family, Hermione, Andromeda, and Teddy. He was a target and anyone who got too close was in danger. He still didn't know what to do about Dudley. He was worried about the public's reaction to Ginny's pregnancy. He was afraid someone in the school could attack her; after all, there were still students who were loyal to the Death Eaters, even if they were a minority. Then, there were the Death Eaters themselves. They had attacked the Dursleys and now Harry was sure they would attack again. He didn't know how he knew. It wasn't like when he knew what Voldemort was doing. But somehow, he still knew that the danger was increasing. And there didn't seem to be anyone capable of doing anything about it. The aurors and the Ministry hadn't made any progress in catching them and Harry doubted that they would ever succeed. He may trust Kingsley, and the Ministry was getting better. But there was still disarray and Harry was at his wits end.

By the time they headed down to the Quidditch Pitch the following weekend, Ginny was ready to wring Harry's neck. He had been avoiding her for days. At the game, he sat next to her but he wasn't really with her. When she tried to talk about the game, he would look at her blankly, say, "Yeah," and then turn back to the game and she knew he wasn't really seeing what was going on. First, that was no way for their Quidditch captain to act. And second, that was _absolutely_ no way for her boyfriend to act.

After the game, Ginny dragged Harry from the common room, up to her dorm. When she gestured at Ron and Hermione, they followed her up. After the door shut behind them, she rounded on her boyfriend.

"Harry Potter! You need to snap out of it!" she yelled. She noticed out of the corner of her eye, Hermione quietly cast a Muffliato Charm. She was grateful because this was going to get loud. She was a hormonal red-head who had reached the end of her rope.

"I mean it Harry. I won't stand for it anymore!"

"You don't understand, Ginny…"

"Oh, I don't understand, do I? I think I bloody well understand more than you think, you great prat!"

"Ginny," Ron said tentatively.

"You stay out of this, Ronald! Potter here has some stuff to answer for!"

"Ginny, listen, you don't understand. I have to protect you. I have to protect our child. I'm dangerous!"

"Oh, no you don't! You don't get to use that one again! I let you get away with it after Dumbledore died but not now. I'm not some poor, underage witch who can't do anything about it! Not this time!"

Harry's face was getting red with anger now. "I never thought you were some poor, underage witch! But I had to protect you! Riddle would have used you! And now, I have to protect both of you! They attacked the Dursleys, Ginny! Don't you see? Don't you realize how much worse it would be if that had been you instead? Or what if you had been the one to open the letter? I have put you in twice as much danger! And now, I have to fix it!"

"Bull! You don't have to protect us, Harry. I can protect myself! And don't hide me away. I knew there would be press when I got involved with you in the first place! I love you, you bloody idiot and I don't care what the world says! I may not have planned to get pregnant and the world may not like it but I don't care! So you don't have to fix anything! That is, unless you plan on fixing this," she said, gesturing to her stomach, "in which case, you can bloody well leave again because we don't need to be fixed! But if you are planning on fixing the Death Eaters, you can just get that right out of your head this minute!"

"Ginny, I have to stop them! It seems this will always be my life! I am destined to battle evil and I don't want to make that your life, too. Bad enough I dragged your brother and Hermione around all these years. But I won't do it to you!"

"We came because we wanted to, Harry," Hermione, broke in, putting force behind her words.

"Exactly!" Ginny jumped back in, her point proven. "They weren't dragged along, Harry! And neither am I! I went to the Ministry to save Sirius with you willingly three years ago! And I'm here willingly this time too! It's not like I haven't battled evil either! I was at the Battle last year! I was there the night Dumbledore died! All last year, Neville and I led the rebellion in this very castle! And I am the only other one in this world who knows what it feels like to have Voldemort in your own head! Or did you forget that, Potter!"

"No, I didn't forget, Ginny. But I won't make you go through that again. I can't let that happen. To you or to the baby." Harry sounded defeated. "I have to stop them. It has to be me!"

"You better not, Potter! I know what you are thinking and I swear, I will kill you! You won't need to face the Death Eaters. I will take care of it myself and there will be nothing left of you for them to get. And I promise, it will hurt. It will make my Bat-Boogey seem like a walk in the garden!"

"Harry, you are not going to do this alone!" Hermione piped in. "We told you two summers ago and we are telling you again, you don't have to face this alone. Ron and I came with you to find the Horcruxes and to defeat Voldemort because we wanted to, because it was our quest as much as it was yours."

"Yeah, mate. We've been in this together for eight years now!"

"Right," Hermione continued. "And you are not in this alone now. The Death Eaters are after all of us. And this time, the aurors can actually be trusted to help-"

"But, Hermione," Harry interrupted, "they haven't caught them yet!"

"They will, Harry!" Ginny assured. "And, until then, we are well protected! Your aunt wasn't hurt because there were aurors there to protect her! And everyone else is protected too! And you don't need to protect us! Ron and Hermione can take care of themselves! And so can I! And we can _both_ take care of this baby! Everything is not on your bloody shoulders, Harry!"

"Ginny, listen –"

"No! If you leave to go kill Death Eaters, I will never forgive you! You have already done everything that could ever be asked of you. You don't have to do any more! We are all in this together! And we are going to stay here and finish our N.E.W.T. year, _together!_ And we are going to have a baby and we are going to deal with it, _together!_ And if we do have to face the Death Eaters, we are going to do it _together!_ I'm serious, Potter! You and I face things together, now. And if we need them, Ron and Hermione are here to help. But you are never facing things alone! Never again!"

"Mate, listen to her."

"Yeah, Harry. You know we are always going to follow you so it is no use going off on your own. Plus, I think Ginny might be serious about killing you!"

Harry looked around at his closest friends and the girl he loved. He smiled slightly, the emotion not reaching his eyes. "I know. I just can't stand not knowing when they might attack or who they might attack. I don't like knowing that you guys aren't safe. And you aren't safe just because you're friends with me!"

Ginny walked up to him and took his hand. "Harry, we have known what we were getting into every step of the way. And you didn't ask for this, so really you are the only one who hasn't had a say in the situation. The rest of us chose this for ourselves! And I wouldn't turn back for the world! You know Fred, Remus, Sirius, Tonks, everyone, would come back from the dead to kick your butt if they thought you were blaming yourself for creating the danger. Voldemort created the danger. You just got caught up in it! But it will get better. Once the aurors round up the Death Eaters, we will be able to relax." She took his hand and placed it on her ever-expanding stomach. Underneath his hand, their baby kicked. He caressed the spot and looked into her eyes as his filled with tears. "And once this baby comes, it will be up to both of us to protect it. You didn't _get_ me pregnant, Harry. We did it together." Off to the side, she saw Ron grimace and plug his ears while Hermione rolled her eyes at his antics. "And we are going to face this together! You are never in it alone again! I know you didn't grow up with a family that loved you. But you have one now. You have a big family! And we are never going anywhere!"

Harry looked deep into Ginny's eyes, seeing the conviction there. "I just don't want anything to happen to any of you. I love all of you and I don't want to be the cause of any more death!"

"Harry James Potter, if you don't stop blaming yourself for the deaths of those we have lost, I swear, I am going to give you something to be sorry for!"

Harry leaned forward and kissed Ginny gently. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I know it wasn't my fault. It's just taking some time to really sink in, for me to believe it the same way I know it."

Ginny leaned her forehead on his chest. "I know, Harry. But I can't stand to see you in this much pain. You have to tell me what's going on inside that thick head of yours. Remember, I'm here. We are all here. And I will not let you go through this alone. I love you, Harry Potter. And I need you with me, both physically and mentally!"

Harry wrapped Ginny in a long hug. He couldn't believe he had brooded in his own mind for so long. It had been a defense mechanism in the past, one he had fallen right back into. Even with Ron and Hermione, he had never really felt like he had someone to share his fears with. He had taken everything on himself. But with Ginny it was different. With Ginny, he finally understood what it felt like to truly be loved and part of a family, a feeling he hadn't had since he was a year old.

Harry reached down and tipped Ginny's chin up so she was looking him in the eye. Looking down at his favorite red-head, he finally figured out what he wanted. "I'm sorry Ginny. I promise I won't do it again." At the dubious look in her eyes, he laughed quietly and amended, "Okay, I promise I will _try_ not to do it again and if I do, you can give me a swift kick in the behind! I don't want to be alone, Ginny, and I don't want you to be alone! I want to be there for you, always, in every way. I love you, Ginerva Molly Weasley." Ginny's eyes filled with tears, which quickly spilled down her cheeks.

Figuring he might as well jump in with both feet, he finished, "Marry me, Ginny. I love you so much. Will you marry me?"

Behind him, he heard Hermione gasp, while Ron whispered, "Bloody Hell!" But Harry never took his eyes off Ginny's.


	17. Chapter 16: Another Weasley

**Chapter 16**

**Another Weasley**

**March**

Ginny's mind whirled at a mile a minute. Had Harry really just asked her to marry him? They had been in the middle of a fight and she had been furious and then, everything seemed to just change. Harry was looking at her, the question written in his eyes, his beautiful emerald eyes.

Barely breathing, Ginny whispered, "Can you repeat that, Harry?"

His eyes were shining as he said softly, "I love you Ginny. Will you marry me?"

Her face broke into a grin before she even realized what was happening and, upon seeing the look on her face, Harry's mouth formed a tentative smile. She stared into Harry's eyes, looking for any doubt or worry. But all she saw there was love. And a kind of contentment she hadn't seen before. Barely believing what was happening, she whispered, "Yes."

Behind Harry, Hermione let out a whoop of glee while Ron stood there looking dumbfounded. But, eyes locked on each other, Harry and Ginny were completely oblivious to their friends, caught in a world where no one existed outside of the two of them.

Unfortunately, their revelry was short lived. As the first weekend in March approached, Harry's life became overwhelmed with homework and quidditch, leaving little time for Ginny, though she was overwhelmed herself. Now that she had entered her third trimester, she was having a hard time focusing, so their homework load didn't help matters.

Ron's birthday had passed with little fanfare, as they were all in a similar stressed state. Harry got him an Attack Quaffle, a new invention designed to attempt to score over and over again, perfect for a keeper to practice with. Ginny had gotten him a set of Chudley Cannons robes. Hermione, breaking from the quidditch theme, had gotten him a supply of spell-checking quills, which would make her life immensely easier, as she wouldn't need to spend as much time proofreading his essays. He had smiled guiltily when he had opened them, knowing how atrocious his spelling truly was. The funniest part of the short celebration was when Ron had opened George's gift, which was a selection of WWW products including some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Ron had immediately dropped a pinch of it and when the darkness finally cleared, Harry and Ginny broke out in laughter. Ron had taken the privacy that darkness had provided, using it to get Hermione in a quite compromising position!

Aside from Ron's birthday, the foursome spent their days and nights going between their classrooms, the library, the quidditch pitch, and the Gryffindor common room, where they could often be found late into the night. Sometimes Neville and Luna joined them, providing evidence for the theory that misery really did like company.

When the Saturday of the game dawned, bright and cold, Harry and Ron were found down at breakfast when the girls woke up. They had been down there for a while by that point. Ron was always a nervous wreck before a game but Harry hadn't been this nervous since he was eleven. He wanted to win, to show everyone that they were not lost without Ginny. Practices had been going well, but he knew they would never be as well-oiled as when Ginny had been in the game.

The two girls tried in vain to get the boys to eat. Harry kept an eye on his watch, counting down the minutes until he needed to get his team gathered. When the time finally came, he stood, Ron following suit. As he marched down the length of the Gryffindor table, he was joined by his fellow teammates. As the exited the hall, Gryffindors cheered.

He led them out to the pitch, anxious to get changed quickly. Once they were all in their robes, he set aside all his doubts about how they would play without Ginny and looked at his team.

"Kay, guys! We can win this one. Watch out for their beaters, they are pretty good. And it's sunny, so make sure to avoid the glare. Now, let's go out there and beat these guys!" With that, he led his team out to the field to take to the air.

A few hours later, Harry was grinning broadly in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room, sipping on a butterbeer that had been smuggled in. They had pulled out the victory. It wasn't as clean as their defeat of Slytherin but a win was a win. True, the Hufflepuff beaters had managed to disrupt his chasers' rhythm a few too many times and the seeker had proven a challenge for Harry, but in the end, he had reminded the school why he was the youngest seeker in a century. They won by 170 points. Now, all they needed to do was beat Ravenclaw and the Quidditch Cup was theirs!

With the quidditch match over and the Gryffinor team looking at a month and a half off, Harry's workload decreased slightly. The next week passed without much fanfare. Harry had returned to sleeping in Ginny's dorm and his nightmares had slowly faded away, though Ron looked like he would love to give Harry a thrashing that could cause a new set of nightmares if he was given the chance. Luckily, Hermione seemed to have put a lid on his anger and Harry remained in one piece.

Saturday night, a week after Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff, Harry lay in Ginny's bed, giving her a back rub. Her back had become really sore over the past week or two and Harry was happy to have something to do to help. It gave him one less thing to worry about. But tonight, it wasn't helping him to calm his nerves and he finally spoke up.

"Hey, Gin? You still awake?" he whispered, not wanting to wake her if she had finally fallen asleep. She rarely got a good night's sleep lately and sometimes the backrubs lulled her into a slumber. But not tonight.

Flipping around to face Harry (he had finally mastered the Extension Charm a few nights ago, so the bed was actually big enough to give them a little maneuvering space, although they were always careful to return it to normal in the mornings so the house-elves didn't notice). "Yeah, Harry."

Harry hesitated. It was still his first inclination to keep everything bottled up inside. After all, brooding was his trademark as much as Expelliarmus. But the night he had asked Ginny to marry him he had realized he didn't want to go through it all alone. Ron and Hermione had been with him when he fought Voldemort. Now he had his fiancée (boy, that word still seemed a little weird to him!) to face the world with.

Sensing his hesitation, Ginny reached out and grabbed his hand. "Tell me, Harry," she said softly.

Harry took a breath. "I'm worried, Ginny. There is something wrong. I can sense it."

"What do you mean, you can sense it?"

Harry thought about it, not really sure what he meant. "I don't know. I mean, it is different than when I knew what Voldemort was doing." He reached up to touch his scar. "It doesn't hurt anymore. And yet, somehow, I still know that there is danger approaching."

Not wanting to push aside his fears after seeing the serious look on his face, Ginny asked, "What kind of danger?"

"I don't know and that is what is bothering me. With Riddle, I always knew. Once I figured out how to use our connection, I knew what was happening. But now, I don't know. I've never really felt this before. I just know that there is danger coming. You don't have to be Hermione to know the danger is probably the Death Eaters." He paused, thinking. "And maybe I'm just so used to danger that I am being paranoid. Someone has been after me my whole life so maybe I'm just assuming they are after me now. But we know the Death Eaters are after me. And this doesn't feel like paranoia."

He could see Ginny was thinking. After a minute, she said, "We have another appointment with McGonagall on Monday night. Maybe you should ask her and Dumbledore about it. Even as a portrait, Dumbledore is still the most likely person to know."

That made sense. "Good idea," Harry said, reassured. Adding a wicked gleam to his smile, he reached out to stroke Ginny's cheek. "Now I'm worried about you. You seem very tense, my dear."

Catching onto the quick change in conversation, Ginny coyly dropped her eyelids. "Oh, very tense," she whispered.

"Well, then, I should fix that." Harry smiled and leaned over to kiss her. The kiss quickly deepened as both teens forgot their worries. Soon their clothes were discarded and they lost themselves in each other.

The next morning, Harry and Ginny were descending the stairs from her dormitory when they stopped dead at the sight of McGonagall waiting for them at the base, Ron and Hermione standing close behind.

"Potter, Weasley," McGonagall stated, an accusatory look in her eyes. Despite the fact that he knew she could not possibly know what happened last night, that she could do no more than guess, he still quivered at her gaze. Sometimes like it seemed like she was omniscient when it came to her students breaking the rules.

Nonetheless, beside the glare she bestowed upon Harry and Ginny, she did not question them. Rather, she said, "I need you four to come with me."

Looking questioningly at Ron and Hermione, who just shook their heads in confusion, Harry took Ginny's hand and followed their professor and two friends out the portrait hole. When they got to the headmistresses office, they found Charlie waiting inside. Worried that he might somehow have heard about what had gone on between him and Ginny over the past several weeks, Harry eyed the elder Weasley with apprehension.

Ginny, however, had a quite different reaction to seeing her brother waiting for them. She gasped with excitement as realization hit. "Fleur?" she questioned.

McGonagall nodded. "Yes. Your sister-in-law had her baby last night. Apparently it happened quickly. But your mother has requested that you go to meet your new niece now. And once again, I am inclined to allow it. But I would like you lot back before curfew tonight, so that you do not need to miss any more class. Your N.E.W.T.s are quickly approaching and I do not want to interrupt your studies.

They all nodded and McGonagall grabbed the pot of Floo Powder from her mantle. Holding it out, she said, "They are at Shell Cottage, rather than St. Mungo's."

Once again, Ginny went first, taking a small handful and entered the fire, stating "Shell Cottage" before disappearing in a whirl of flame. The other four followed behind, with Harry going last.

When Harry stepped out of the fire, he found everyone waiting for him. Mrs. Weasley rushed forward to hug him. "Harry. I'm so glad Minerva let you all come!" By the slightly wrinkled robes on his friends, he could tell Mrs. Weasley had already bestowed one of her motherly hugs on each of them.

"Come upstairs! Come meet Victoire!" Mrs. Weasley ushered the new arrivals through the small cottage and up the stairs, where the entered the master bedroom to see Fleur sitting up on the bed, a white bassinet pulled up next to her.

Charlie went over to Bill, who was standing nearby, to clap him on the back in a typical guy hug. Ginny and Hermione, meanwhile, quietly approached the bassinet, oohing and ahhing over the newborn inside. Ron and Harry, both hung back, content to watch their girlfriends gush over the newest addition to the Weasley family.

After a few minutes, where Victoire was passed around the room, Harry heard a loud grumble and looked over at Ginny, who had been watching him hold the small girl. She grinned guiltily. "Guess the baby is hungry."

Harry laughed. "Well, we did skip breakfast!"

Mrs. Weasley's head perked up. "You skipped breakfast. Oh, no, that won't work. You need to eat, Ginny!"

Exasperated, Ginny assured her mother, "I know. But McGonagall found us as we were about to head down for breakfast and when we heard that Fleur had the baby, we kind of forgot about it."

"Well, either way, you need to eat. Come, I will make you lot some breakfast. Anyway, Fleur needs to rest and Victoire is starting to get fussy." Sure enough, the newborn in Harry's arms was beginning to squirm, her face scrunched up. A second later, a wail escaped her small mouth, startling Harry. He didn't know something so small could make such a loud noise. Bill came over and took his daughter out of Harry's arms, rocking her slightly as he carried her to the bed and handed her off to Fleur, who began to breast feed the infant.

Ron, his face rapidly becoming as red as his hair, turned toward the door. "Yeah, let's go. Food. Yeah, let's get food."

Hermione laughed at her embarrassed boyfriend. Acting confused, she teased, "What's the matter, Ron?"

He just glared at her and hastily exited the room. Laughing, the rest of the Hogwarts crew followed him, with Mrs. Weasley bringing up the rear.

When they got to the kitchen, they found George, Angelina, and little Freddie sitting at the table. Well, Freddie was technically lying in a baby carrier on the table. Mrs. Weasley set about making breakfast while everyone greeted each other.

Looking over at his mother, Charlie asked, "Where's Perce?"

"Oh, Percy and Audrey were here most of the night so I sent them home to get some sleep. They should be back a little later," she responded as she dished out eggs at the table. Everyone else nodded. They had all met Audrey over New Years and had really liked her. Despite being as much of a workaholic as their dear brother, she seemed to smooth out some of his rougher points and had fit in with the family well so they were glad to hear that Percy had brought her along last night.

After Harry ate, he offered to hold Freddie so that Angelina could eat as well. The little boy had gotten fussy as soon as the food had appeared at the table and had demanded to be held, not liking his carrier any longer.

As she ate, Ginny watched Harry with Freddie. He was good with the five-week old. Although it probably didn't take much, as the infant had broken into a toothless grin upon seeing Harry's face. She had no idea what was so amusing to Freddie. It could by the funny scar on his forehead, the round glasses, or even the messy hair. Or it could be nothing at all. Really, who knew what a five week old found funny. Leaning over, she tickled the boy's tummy and Harry laughed at the expression on Freddie's face as Ginny tickled away.

"You know you're next, Ginny," George said, eyeing the pair with Freddie.

Reaching down to touch her stomach, which seemed to get bigger with every minute that passed, Ginny said, "I know. Two months now."

George chuckled a little. "Just wait. I don't think I've gotten more than an hour of sleep since Freddie was born. And Angelina's gotten even less!"

Swallowing, Angelina agreed. "I'm exhausted. I mean, I love him, so much. But I'm exhausted. I seriously don't envy you, trying to take your N.E.W.T.s with a month old baby at your hip. I'm barely getting by and right now I don't have to do anything _except_ be a mom!"

"Oh, darling, you're doing fine!" Mrs. Weasley joined the conversation. "Tired is normal! I remember when Bill was born, I thought he would never sleep through the night! But he did." Her gaze turned thoughtful. "Although, in hindsight, Bill was easy. Fred and George were the troublemakers, even back then. One would wake up and, rather than go back to sleep, they would wake the other one up and then both start crying! We even tried separating them but then they just cried even more." She looked forlornly at George, the memories of his twin still a little painful. "I don't think those two slept fully through the night till they were nearly a year old!"

Angelina looked terrified. "Oh, don't tell me that! My luck, this one inherited his father's troublemaker gene!"

Even George looked contrite, an expression not often found on his face. "I'm sorry mum. So very sorry," he said, dropping his forehead to rest on the table. After a minute, Ginny noticed he was actually asleep at the breakfast table.


	18. Chapter 17: SPEW For Werewolves

**A/N: I know! I know! My updates have slowed down a little. Really, it has two causes. 1. These chapters just seem harder to write and the writers block comes and goes... really it is quite annoying, and 2. That point in the semester has hit and everything is REALLY busy so I don't even have time to stare at the page and hope the writer's block goes away. Instead, I just move onto something else... If only I didn't have to have a career and could spend my life living off HP. J.K. Rowling really has the life!**

**Once again, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW... I'm not kidding - they really help the writer's block!**

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**Chapter 17**

**S.P.E.W. For Werewolves**

**March**

By that night, Harry had started to worry about Ginny. She had been abnormally quiet all day and he couldn't figure out why.

At dinner, before the three Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione had needed to return to Hogwarts, Harry and Ginny had told the family that they were engaged. Charlie in particular had seemed pleased with the news. Bill worried that Ginny was too young but hadn't really made too big of a deal out of it, as his view of the world seemed to be tinted with rose-colored glasses at the moment. He had rarely left his new daughter's side since they had gotten there. George, Angelina, and Percy were happy for them, and Audrey smiled politely, though didn't give an opinion considering how little she knew them. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were both delighted and Mrs. Weasley had immediately started planning the wedding, which Harry thought was funny, given that he and Ginny hadn't really talked about a date yet. But overall, the reaction to the news had been positive (and he had come out of it without any new bruises, which he thought was a success), so he didn't think that was what was bothering the redhead who was currently leaning back against him on her once-again expanded bed.

When he finally couldn't take any more of the silence, he broke it. "Ginny? Is anything wrong?" When she turned to face him, he noticed that her face was streaked with tears. When had she started crying? And how had he missed that? He immediately pulled her against his chest. "Oh, Ginny. It's okay. Don't cry. Whatever it is, it's going to be okay." He repeated soothing statements but it only seemed to make Ginny cry harder. In the end, he just held her while she cried herself out.

After what felt like an hour but in reality was probably only ten minutes, Ginny calmed in his arms. He tentatively asked her again, "Ginny, honey, what's wrong?"

She pulled back a little so she could look at him. Her eyes were still wet and shining but she seemed to have regained control.

"I'm scared, Harry," she whispered so quietly, he could barely hear her.

"Scared of what Ginny?" Harry was confused. Just a few weeks ago, she was yelling at him about how she didn't need protection and how they were in this together. She was the one who had finally convinced _him_ not to be scared. And now _she_ was telling him that she was scared? He didn't get what had changed.

"What are we doing, Harry?" She wrapped her arms around her stomach, but the gesture seemed more terrified than protective. "I mean, what are we going to do? We can't do this? What were we thinking?" Her voice was getting louder and more frightened with every sentence. Not knowing what else to do, Harry pulled her back against his chest, holding her tightly.

"What can't we do, Ginny?"

"Have a baby! We can't be parents, Harry!"

Harry laughed a little. "I think it's too late for that, Gin."

"I'm serious, Harry. How are we supposed to do this? You heard Angelina this morning. How are we supposed to take care of a newborn and go to school? How are we supposed to study for our N.E.W.T.s?"

"So that's what's been bothering you."

"What do you mean?"

"You've been quiet all day. I guess I just didn't notice that it began after Angelina's talk."

"Yeah, well, she has a point."

"Ginny, look at me." She pulled away but didn't look him in the eye, instead focusing on his chin. He reached out for her face and tilted it up until she was looking directly at him. "Listen, Ginny. I'm scared too." She tried to pull away but he held fast. "No, listen. I'm scared to death. I think all parents are. But you're the one who convinced me we can do this!"

"Well, I was wrong."

"No, Gin, you weren't. I have no idea how we are going to do this. But we will. I bet Ron and Hermione will help. And even if they didn't we could still do this. And, well, if it gets to be too hard, I just won't take my N.E.W.T.s."

"No, Harry, you have to. I won't let you give them up for me."

"I love you, Ginny. I'd do anything for you. I mean, look, I didn't even go out on my own to find the Death Eaters. That's how much I love you!" She smiled at this. "And I don't have to take them. Kingsley has told me all along the Auror job is mine if I want it, regardless of my N.E.W.T.s"

Ginny seemed to relax a little, reassured by Harry's conviction. "Oh, Harry. Thank you. Thank you for offering to give up your N.E.W.T.s. I won't let you, but you're right. I don't know how, but we will get through this. I mean, if my mum could take care of me with six little boys around, I guess we can study with one newborn underfoot." Ginny leaned back on Harry and sighed. "I guess I'm just worried about it all. I'll blame it on the hormones. I mean, I haven't cried like that since your seventeenth birthday!"

She turned back around and leaned against him once more. After a few minutes, Harry noticed that her breathing had become regular as she had slipped into a slumber. When she let out a short snore, he laughed and squirmed around a little to get comfortable. He clearly wasn't moving for a while so he might as well get some sleep.

The next morning, Harry woke with a crick in his neck from sleeping sitting up against the headboard all night. But Ginny was still asleep in his lap, so he figured it was worth it. As he attempted to slip out of bed, she stirred and opened her eyes.

"Morning," she said, stretching. Seeing her smile, no one would ever know how upset she had been the night before. "Mhmmm. I'm hungry."

"Of course you are." Harry smiled and helped her out of bed, shrinking the bed back to normal before heading out to get dressed. When he got back, she was just pulling her robes on, which had been expanded using an extension charm similar to the one Harry used on the bed. Once she was dressed, they headed down to breakfast together.

When the mail came, Harry and Ginny were pleasantly surprised that no mail arrived for them. It was the first day some kind of fan or hate mail had not arrived. So when a sleek black owl landed in the middle of the group, Harry had immediately reached out to untie the letter but was thwarted when the owl turned to Hermione and held out its leg. Hermione detached the letter and the owl flew off, everyone going back to their breakfast while she read.

Her three friends' eyes snapped up when the heard her squeal.

"What?" Harry asked quickly. "What happened?"

Ron leaned over trying to see his girlfriend's letter but she had hugged the letter to her chest. "Hermione, what's going on?"

Her eyes wide, Hermione whispered, "They liked my proposal!"

Ron looked at Harry, who just shook his head. Beside him, Ginny asked, "What proposal? Who liked it?"

Hermione's face broke out into a huge grin. "The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures! They liked my S.P.E.W. proposal!"

"You're not still on about the house elves, are you?" Ron asked incredulously. By the look on his girlfriend's face, that had been the wrong reaction.

"For your information, Ronald, of course I am still concerned with the house elves. And after what they did during the Battle for Hogwarts, it is only right that the Ministry recognize the elves and support their rights! But this isn't just about the house elves. I have expanded S.P.E.W. I changed it so it now stands for the Society for the Protection of Elves and Werewolves!"

Harry's fork stopped halfway to his mouth. "Werewolves?"

Hermione looked down. "Well, yeah. I mean, Remus struggled his whole life but still gave it all up to protect the Wizarding World. I wanted to do it for him." She looked up, tears in her eyes. "And for Teddy."

Harry smiled. "I think that's great, Hermione. Really great. I'm sure Remus would have loved it."

"Thanks, Harry."

"Blimey, Hermione. You're brilliant!" Hermione beamed at Ron, his earlier comment forgotten.

"That's amazing, Hermione! But when did you find the time to expand it?" Ginny looked astonished.

"What did you think I was doing while you lot were all busy. Harry and Ron were always at quidditch and you were busy with everything."

"Oh, Hermione. I'm sorry. We have been kind of ignoring you, haven't we? I mean, we have a lot going on but that is no reason to leave you out."

"No, Ginny. I didn't mean it like that. I really wanted to find time to do this. Dobby and Remus deserve it." Hermione flashed them all a sly smile. "Plus, they want to talk to me about a job after I finish school. Apparently, they think I have a lot of promise for changing things!"

"Hermione, that's great!" Ginny shouted while Ron threw his arms around her and kissed her full on the lips. Harry sat there, watching as his closest friends in the world celebrated the good news.

That night, they headed up to McGonagall's office for their meeting, still buzzing from Hermione's news at breakfast.

"Siamese," Ginny said. The gargoyle jumped aside and they ascended the moving staircase.

When they reached the top, the headmistress called out "Come in" and then indicated that Harry and Ginny should take a seat.

"Mr. Potter. Ms. Weasley." She nodded to both of them. "I hope everything is well with Fleur."

"Oh, yes," Ginny told her enthusiastically. "Bill and Fleur had a little girl, Victoire. She already has Bill wrapped around her little finger. He barely left her side the whole time we were there!"

"That's wonderful. They deserve some joy after everything." Her eyes glazed over as she found herself pulled down by the memories of the past. "As do you two." Pausing, she gained control and then continued on. "But, alas, that is not what we are here to talk about. I want to know how you both are doing."

"Good, I guess. Seeing first Freddie then Victoire made everything that much more real. But at the same time, I still don't really believe that I will be a mum in a little over a month."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I don't think it has fully hit us yet. I mean, in some ways it has, but in others, it still seems surreal."

"I understand. But, nevertheless, it is real. And it will be very real, very soon. Are you ready for that?"

Ginny paled a little. "Honestly, no. I don't even want to think about it." Harry reached over and squeezed her hand. "But I do know that when I have to be ready I will. So, in the meantime, I'm enjoying a little bit more denial." She smiled slightly, the expression strained on her face.

"I would go through it for her if I could. But I can't. I even offered to forgo my N.E.W.T.s to make it easier for her. After all, I don't really need them."

"I see." McGonagall looked concerned. "Potter, I know you try to take the whole world onto your shoulders. You have done it since you first showed up at Hogwarts nearly eight years ago. But I had hoped that Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley would have broken you of your hero complex by now." She looked over the boy sitting in front of her. "Harry, I want you to remember, you can't save everyone and you can't protect everyone. I am incredibly proud of the man you have become, of how you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save us all. But Voldemort is gone now. You have fulfilled the prophecy and now you are free to live your life. You cannot keep sacrificing yourself for others."

Harry looked down. Anytime McGonagall called him by his first name, it left him feeling unnerved. Before he could respond, though, Ginny spoke up.

"See, Harry. Even Professor McGonagall agrees with me. I told you, you will take your N.E.W.T.s and so will I. And you have to stop blaming yourself for everything and thinking you can stop everything. It is no longer you versus Voldemort. Technically, it never was. You had us all behind you then. You may have fired the final spell but we all were there, with you the whole time!"

McGonagall eyed Ginny approvingly. "You should listen to your girlfriend, Potter. She makes good sense."

"Fiancee," Harry corrected quietly.

McGonagall's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," Harry said, a smile playing on his lips. "I know she is right. Figured I might as well keep her around for a while. She can keep me humble." At this, Ginny reached over and punched him in the arm.

McGonagall broke out in a large smile. "Well, then, I am happy for you. For both of you. Truly."

"Thanks, Professor," Ginny said.

"I have been worried about you two. Of course, you are not the only ones in this situation but you have worried me more than any of the others." She looked up at them, her eyes glistening slightly. "You have both been forced to grow up much too fast. Neither of you has had an easy time here at Hogwarts. For eight years now, I have watched first you Harry, and then you too Ginny, face dangers and troubles few other students have ever faced in these walls. You two, along with Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, have dealt with more than any teen should. And now, you have to grow up even more, even faster, facing this new challenge. Parenthood is no easy role. But I am happy to know that you will face it together."

Harry felt Ginny's hand take his. He was touched by McGonagall's little speech. It felt good to know how much she cared. It made Harry realize that she was a part of his family. She was an integral piece of the patchwork quilt that had become his family over the years, with all the people who meant the world to him woven into it. He really was lucky to have such a big family, even if some of them were gone now and many of them were not related to him by blood.

"Thank you, Professor. And I know we have had to grow up too quickly, but at this point, I couldn't go back to being a kid again if I tried. Not after everything I have been through."

"I understand Potter. But I want you to remember to have some fun. You too, Ms. Weasley. I know the next few months will be very busy and very difficult for you. But at some point, remember to let go a little and enjoy yourselves. You may not get to be children anymore, but everyone should release their inner child once and a while."

Harry caught Ginny's eye and saw that she too was trying to avoid laughing. The idea of McGonagall's inner child being released was an idea too farfetched to comprehend!

Once he was sure he wasn't going to burst out laughing, he said, "I will, Professor. We both will."

With that, McGonagall dismissed them. Once they were almost to the door, she innocently called out, "Remember, Potter, back to _your_ _own_ dorm room!"

Harry blushed a deep red but did not turn around, not wanting McGonagall to see his guilt. Meanwhile, Ginny had once again taken to biting her lip to keep herself from breaking out in laughter. He glared at her, giving her a look that would cause a phoenix to catch fire, which only caused her to shake harder with silent laughter as they headed out of the headmistress's office and down the moving staircase.


	19. Chapter 18: What's A Praesagium?

**Chapter 18**

**What's A Praesagium?**

**April**

_The room was dark, an eerie glow emanating from the walls. The sound of dripping water could be heard. The room held the sense of gloom, the scent of blood and sweat hanging in the air, alerting those within to the torturous uses the chamber had been put to in the past. Huddled in the corner, he could see the shadow of a woman, curled into a fetal position, shaking slightly. The woman's identity was hidden in the deep shadows, her face obscured by the darkness._

_ Suddenly, the darkness was shattered by a bright shaft of light, though it failed to reach the corner with the woman. A squeaking sound split the silence as the door slowly creaked open. A man entered but Harry did not recognize him. Framed by the light in the hall and the eerie glow of the room, the man radiated an aura of malevolence._

_ "I see you have not warmed to our hospitality." As the man spoke, his smooth voice filled Harry with a sense of dread. "And after we let you live. Your ungratefulness hurts me. Perhaps we should not have been so accommodating. But, alas, you are nothing but a means to an end. He will come for you and then we can kill you both. Revenge will be pleasurable, I am sure." His cackle filled with room._

_ Across the room, the woman looked up, her eyes boring into Harry as he recognized the prisoner, his blood going cold with the realization._

Harry jerked awake, his body coated in sweat. The few weeks since their meeting with McGonagall had been peaceful. They had tried to take McGonagall's advice and ignore the future for a little while. But this nightmare had brought all of his concerns right back to the forefront.

Fighting to remember exactly what had woken him, Harry tried desperately to remember the dream that was slipping away with every second of wakefulness. There had been a woman, a woman he knew, but her identity was just beyond his reach.

Frustrated, knowing the dream had been important, Harry forced himself to relax and catch any details he could before they slipped away but it was like trying to hold water in his hands. The harder he tried to remember, the quicker the drops ran through his fingers.

After a few minutes, Harry gave up and crawled out of bed, taking care not to wake Ginny. He quietly snuck out of the room and headed to his own dorm room to change into his robes.

When Ginny finally made it down to the common room, she found Harry lost in thought on the couch by the fireplace.

"Harry," she said quietly as she slowly lowered herself onto the couch next to him. He looked up at her, his eyes not really seeing her. "Harry, what happened?"

He slowly focused on her face and let out a deep sigh. "It's happening again." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I had a dream last night. I can't remember much. Just a woman and a deep sense of peril. But I know it was meant for me. I know danger is coming again."

Ginny sat in a contemplative silence next to him. After a few moments, she said, "I think you need to talk to Dumbledore. I mean, you were going to a few weeks ago when we met McGonagall but I guess you forgot what with everything that happened."

"Yeah, I think you're right. I need to know what is going on. Why I still seem to be having these insights, even though I no longer have a connection to Voldemort."

A horrible thought filling her mind suddenly, Ginny quickly asked, "Harry, you don't think…?"

"I don't know, Gin," he answered before she even had a chance to fully form her concern. "I really don't. This doesn't feel like it did with Voldemort. But I'm not excluding anything right now." Seeing the fear on his fiancee's face, he quickly sought to sooth her concerns. "I mean, I don't think it's the same. I don't think I'm, like, a horcrux again or anything. I wasn't dreaming like I was the… like I was whoever was doing this. I don't even know who it was. I always knew it was Voldemort, I was always seeing everything through his eyes. But not this time. This was more like the dream I had right before the World Cup, before Voldemort came back. Where I was seeing things as an outsider."

Ginny seemed to relax a little at this. "That's good, I guess. I still think you should talk to Dumbledore though. Maybe he can tell you what is going on. Or help you figure it out."

"I think I will. Maybe I will go up after breakfast. I have a free period."

"Good. Now that that is settled, why don't we go down to that breakfast! Your baby is hungry!"

Harry laughed a little and helped Ginny up off the couch. Now that he had a plan, he felt more relaxed.

In the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione questioned what had taken Harry and Ginny so long so Harry shared his dream with his best friends and told them about his plan to talk to Dumbledore. Ron thought it was a brilliant idea, though he also suggested that the dream might just have been another nightmare. Hermione, meanwhile, was glad that Harry was going to talk to Dumbledore but wanted to go look up something or other in the library, sure she had heard about something like this before. They had to spend the rest of breakfast listening to her lament that fact that she and Ginny had Ancient Runes after breakfast and she couldn't head straight to the library, though she planned to use her very next free period to immerse herself in the books she wanted. Ron and Harry just ignored her, well trained in avoiding Hermione while she was fixated on researching a question.

After breakfast, Hermione and Ginny headed off to Ancient Runes, Hermione still groaning about not being able to go straight to the library (Ron's suggestion that she skip class if she was so anxious to get to there had been met with a decidedly frigid stare). Meanwhile, Harry and Ron headed up to the headmistresses office. Luckily, the password had not been changed, so they were able to get up without much trouble.

When they got to the top, Harry reached out and knocked on the door. "Come in," McGonagall called.

"Professor?"

"Potter? Weasley? What are you doing here?" McGonagall looked concerned when the two boys walked into her office.

"I had a favor to ask, Professor." McGonagall looked questioningly at Harry, her face suggesting he get on with asking the question. "Well, I just wanted the chance to talk to Dumbledore," he said, indicating the image of the sleeping professor behind McGonagall's desk.

"May I ask what about, Potter?"

"I would rather see what Professor Dumbledore has to say about it first, if it is alright with you."

McGonagall looked closely at her student and then sighed. "Very well, Potter. I will leave you alone." With that, McGonagall swept out of her office, leaving Harry and Ron alone.

Once McGonagall was gone, Harry cleared his throat to wake the professor in the portrait. "Professor Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore slowly opened his eyes, making it clear he had just been pretending to sleep. "Ah, Harry. And what can I do for you this fine day?"

Harry hesitated, not sure where to begin. "Well, you see, Professor, I just had a question, and, well, I didn't know who else to ask."

"Really? I would have thought your friend, Ms. Granger could have found the answer. I was most impressed with how well she identified all the clues I left you last year."

"Yeah, well, I did mention it to her and she is checking out the library later. But Ginny thought you might know."

"Very well, let's hear it. What great dilemma have you come across now?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes glinting slightly in the portrait. Behind Harry, Ron snickered. It was nice to see even Dumbledore thought Harry's penchant for attracting trouble was amusing.

Harry ignored both of them. Instead, he began, "Well, lately I have had this weird sense that trouble is coming. Not like with Voldemort. My scar doesn't hurt or anything. It is more like what was going on before Voldemort came back. At least I think it is," Harry added, doubtfully. He went on to tell Dumbledore about the strange feelings he had been having for months now, ending with the dream he had had last night. "So, really, I just want to know if I'm going crazy. I mean, am I just seeing danger everywhere? Is there something wrong with me?"

Dumbledore stared at them. As the silence dragged on, Harry began to worry that he really was nuts. Finally, Dumbledore spoke.

"No, Harry, I do not think you are crazy. But I do think I missed a few clues over the years. Can you tell me about what you meant when you said that this is like before Voldemort came back?"

Harry explained how he had dreamt about Voldemort in the year leading up to his return, but he had always been an outside observer, rather than Voldemort himself, as he was in the dreams after his return. When Harry finished, Dumbledore smiled, his hands clasped together under his chin.

"I see. As I suspected."

"What?" Harry asked impatiently.

"It would seem that you are a praesagium." At Ron and Harry's looks of incomprehension, he elaborated. "It is a rare branch of divination. In essence, it is a gift you are born with, in a way, like a metamorphagus or a parseltongue. It is not a practice you learn, thus it is not something you would have come across in your divination classes. A praesagium can sense approaching trouble or danger. A strong praesagium will, at times, get glimpses of the future trouble, like you did in your dream. In time, you should be able to train yourself to remember the details of these flashes more clearly."

"So basically, what you are saying is that I am forever destined to attract trouble?" Harry asked dejectedly. His life had been full of nothing but trouble since before he was born.

"Not precisely, Harry. You will not sense all trouble. Only the trouble for yourself and those closest to you. And it does not attract the trouble, just lets you know it is coming. It explains the premonitions you had before Riddle returned to his body. It also explains why Occlumency was so difficult for you, as your mind was subconsciously trying to stay open and learn everything it could about the coming danger, even if it was coming through your connection with Voldemort."

"I see. But doesn't that mean that someone close to me is in trouble right now? I mean, if I am a prasa… a pragsa… a whatever you said I was, then doesn't that mean the feeling I have had for the last few months are an indication that someone is in danger?"

"I am afraid you may be correct, Harry. You have always been most adapt at finding trouble and we now know why. So, yes, I do believe you are identifying yet more trouble. But I would not worry yet. From what I understand, there is a faction of old Death Eaters after you." Harry shot him a questioning look. "I hear much, Harry. After all, I sit her behind Minerva's desk most of the day, not to mention my other portraits. In this case, Kingsley was here to discuss your protection with Minerva." Harry nodded.

"So, if there are Death Eaters after you, that would explain your sense of forboding," Dumbledore continued. Before Harry could interrupt, as he was ready to jump in at this confirmation that those he loved were in danger, Dumbledore added, "But this does not mean that something will happen. You sense the _potential_ for future danger, not the guaranteed existence of that trouble. Thus, it is entirely possible that the aurors will catch the Death Eaters long before they have the chance to do anything." Looking down on Harry, kindly, Dumbedore concluded, "A praesagium does not sense danger because it is coming but rather so that they have the chance to prevent it. It does not always work, as we were not able to stop Voldemort, despite early warnings of his return. But it will give you the ability to better protect yourself, your friends, and your family."

"Great. So I will know about all the dangers I can get myself mixed up in," Harry stated forlornly, not sure he wanted to be advised of perils ahead of time.

"Oh, come on mate," Ron tease. "Trouble is your middle name. I don't know what we would do without a little danger every now and then. Life would get boring!"

Harry smiled at his friend's attempt to cheer him up but Harry remained unconvinced, disappointed that he had not rid himself of these feelings when he killed the piece of Voldemort's soul that had resided within him, and sure that it would not be as easy as Dumbledore suggested to prevent the coming storm.

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**A/N: In case anyone was curious, _praesagium_ is latin for "sense of foreboding." I thought it fit!**

**What do you thing? Remember, REVIEW! :)**


	20. Chapter 19: Dudley Dursley

**Chapter 19**

**Dudley Dursley**

**April**

A week later, the foursome was on the Hogwarts Express, heading back to the Burrow for the Easter Holidays. They had the compartment to themselves and were using the time to talk about Harry's newly discovered ability. He had told Hermione and Ginny as soon as he saw them. Ginny had been oddly quiet about the news, while Hermione had spent any free time she had over the past week researching praesagiums. Now, she was rattling off everything she had learned in the last week.

"I mean, it is like when you were able to speak parseltongue. You have a little control over it but not a lot. A metamorphagus has a lot more control. In essence, you should be able to block a premonition or make a more detailed one come if you are already sensing danger. But you cannot make the feelings come at will. And, from what I read, it is really hard to learn to block them. Although, there wasn't much information out there. Praesagiums are really rare."

"Great. Another reason I'm a freak. As if _The Boy Who Lived,_ _The Chosen One,_ and _The Savior_ weren't enough. Oh, and don't forget I was a horcrux for sixteen years. Now I have another thing people can fixate on."

"Well, it's not like people would know by looking at you," Ron pointed out. "So I bet you could keep it quiet. Us four and Dumbledore are the only ones who know. And you know we won't tell anybody."

"Plus, Harry, now you have a little more in common with Teddy. You both have these innate magical abilities, beyond just being magical. Isn't that a good thing?" Hermione asked.

"I guess." Looking over at Ginny, who seemed to be trying to ignore the conversation, Harry said, "I'm sick of this. Why don't we talk about something else now."

"Okay. Good. We can go over the study schedules I have drawn up for us!" Hermione pulled a sheaf of paper out of her bag.

Putting his head in his hands, Ron exclaimed, "Blimey, Hermione! Can't we at least have Easter break!"

"Ron! Our N.E.W.T.s are just a couple months away. I would think you would be more worried! These tests determine the rest of our lives!"

"Ergh!" Ron grunted. The rest of the trip was spent with Hermione lecturing their group on all the study tools she was going to set up for them leading up to their exams in June. Harry, Ron, and Ginny just smiled and nodded, knowing there was no stopping Hermione.

That night, Harry and Ginny found themselves alone in the Burrow living room. Both seemed to be caught up in their own thoughts. Finally, Harry spoke up.

"Gin? Anything wrong?"

"Why?"

"You've been quiet all week? Did I do something? Is it about me being a praesagium?"

Ginny looked up at Harry. "A little. Nothing is really wrong. I guess I was just hoping that you were being paranoid or something. I was hoping the world would return to normal after the war but I guess I am just now realizing that there is no such thing as normal. And now, with you being a praesagium, we will always know when danger is coming. It's a double edged sword, really. We know, so we can be ready. But sometimes, I just wish we could live in ignorance, peaceful ignorance." She smiled wryly.

Harry squeezed her shoulders. "I know what you mean. I seems like my whole life has been one long adventure after another. I sort of hoped defeating Riddle would finally give me a break. But it seems my life is destined to be full of intrigue. On the plus side, you have to admit, it's never boring." He returned her wry smile as she laughed at his dry humor.

Once again, they lapsed into a contemplative silence. And once again, it was Harry who broke the silence. "Gin?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Well, I, uh… I made a decision."

"About what?"

"About the letter my cousin sent me a few months ago."

At this, Ginny sat up and turned around to face Harry. "I had forgotten about that. He wanted to catch up, right?"

"Yeah." Harry fidgeted a little, clearly still doubting his decision.

Sensing his uncertainty, Ginny proceeded slowly. "I see. He also apologized, right?"

"Yeah?"

"So, then, what did you decide to do?"

Harry hesitated a minute, then pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Ginny. She opened it and quickly skimmed it. At the end of the short letter, she looked back up at Harry's face, which at the moment was a schooled and blank expression.

"So, you decided to meet him, then?" she asked, cautiously. The letter was a response from Dudley, suggesting they meet up a coffee shop in London.

"Yeah," Harry said quietly. "I sent him a letter a couple weeks back, agreeing to meet. Then he suggested this coffee place. I wrote back, telling him I would be there later this week."

"That's great, Harry. But are you sure about this? From what you told me, he was the world's biggest prat."

"Yeah. But he seemed to change those last few years, although I was never there long enough for anything to happen. So, to answer your question, no, I'm not sure. But I thought I would at least give him a chance, see if what I saw before was true."

"I'm proud of you Harry, you know that?" Ginny whispered, leaning up to kiss him. This time, when they both lapsed into silence, it was a comfortable silence.

A few days later, Harry and Ginny were standing outside the coffee shop in Muggle London.

"You know, you can't do anything if you don't open the door right?" Ginny asked, smiling up at Harry, who had been rooted to the spot for the last minute.

He seemed to come out of his trance and glanced down at Ginny, a grimace on his face. "Right. Door," he said, as if to himself. He stepped forward and opened the coffee shop door. They were still a little early, so Dudley hadn't arrived yet. Harry was glad. He had wanted to beat his cousin and have a few minutes to calm down before they met. He was incredibly nervous to meet the reportedly reformed bully.

About fifteen minutes later, Harry stood when he saw Dudley walk through the door. His cousin had slimmed down a lot since Harry had last seen him, nearly two years ago. As far as Harry could tell, Dudley was just as nervous as Harry was.

"Dudley," Harry called. His cousin turned towards their table and headed over.

"Hey, Harry," Dudley said as he sat down.

For a minute, everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Ginny elbowed Harry, causing him to jump a little.

"Er- Right," he said. "Dudley, this is my fiancee, Ginny. Ginny, my cousin Dudley."

"Nice to meet you Dudley," Ginny said.

"Ah, you too," Dudley said hesitantly. He looked back at Harry. "Fiancee? What'd you do, knock her up?"

Ginny blushed while Harry looked away. "Oh, man, Harry. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. Blimey, this is not how I wanted this to go."

"No, Dud, don't worry about it. But, yeah, Ginny's pregnant." Harry reached over and took her hand. "Due next month actually."

"Bloody hell. Really?" Dudley looked back at his cousin in surprise.

"Yeah. I guess we got a little careless in the months after the war ended." Harry glanced over at Ginny, who smiled. "We were in a bad place. Sometimes still are. But at least we are in it together."

Dudley sat there twisting his hands for a minute. "Hestia told me some of the stuff you had been through. At least, before the war. Why didn't you ever tell me who Cedric was? I teased you mercilessly about him. And you watched him die. I was horrible. I have been beating myself up about it ever since I learned what happened."

"Well, I didn't exactly want to talk about it. Especially with you or your parents."

"Right. I get it. Listen Harry, about that. I wanted to apologize. I know my parents were cruel to you but I didn't have to be. I mean, you were always better than us. Even after everything we did to you, you still saved me. And by the sounds of it, not just me. You saved everyone." Dudley looked down and spoke quietly. "I'm proud to be your cousin, even if I don't deserve to be."

Harry was speechless. He had seen signs of this over those last few summers at Privet Drive but had ignored them, sure his cousin would never be more than a bully. But it seemed that things had indeed changed.

"Dudley, I don't know what to say."

"That was really nice, Dudley," Ginny said after Harry had lapsed into silence. Looking over at Harry, she said quietly, "Harry, we have lost enough people over the last few years. You especially have lost the most. Why don't you guys try starting over. He is family, no matter what has happened before."

Dudley's head jerked up. "What do you mean, Harry has lost a lot?" he questioned Ginny. "Hestia and Dedalus told us about what had happened but they only mentioned Cedric's death."

While he had been talking to Ginny, Harry answered. "Cedric was just the first death that we faced in the second war. My parents were the last deaths of the first war. So then there was Cedric, who died in front of me the night Voldemort came back, basically starting the second war. Then there was Sirius." Harry paused, thinking about the night he lost his godfather. "Remember when Dumbledore came. He tried to give you a drink and the glasses kept hitting you over the head." Harry smiled at the memory.

"Yeah." Dudley grinned, too.

"Wait, what did Dumbledore do?" Ginny asked, missing the joke.

"I'll tell you later. Anyway, the will Dumbledore was talking about that night, that was Sirius's. He was my godfather. He was the one on the TV a few years earlier, when I blew up Aunt Marge." Dudley laughed at this. "Yeah. Well, after Sirius died, Dumbledore started helping me more. But then, a year later, he died."

"The bearded guy died? He seemed invincible."

"He seemed that way to all of us. Then we lost Mad-Eye. He seemed even more invincible than Dumbledore. By then, it kind of sunk in that no one was invincible."

"You guys knew someone named Mad-Eye?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ginny answered. "He had this eye that spun around and could see out of the back of his head and through wood and all kinds of crazy stuff."

Dudley looked confused for a minute. "Is he the guy that was at the train station that one time?"

Harry laughed. "Yeah, that was him. He died the night we separated. He died protecting me when they moved me to a new location."

"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry."

Harry shrugged it off, still not quite over the guilt he felt over everyone's death. "Then, there was the final battle. At Hogwarts – our school. We lost a lot of people that day. There was this boy who followed me around all the time – Colin – he died that night. And our friend Lavender, she was my best mate's first girlfriend. And then we lost Ginny's brother, Fred. He was one of the twins."

"Was he one of the one's who gave me that candy?" Dudley interrupted.

"Yeah, that was him and George. And we also lost Remus, who was friends with my dad and Sirius and like another father to me. And we lost his wife Tonks – we all loved her. Their son is my godson." Then, as an afterthought, Harry added, "And we lost Snape." Ginny squeezed his hands at this.

Dudley, not knowing the significance of the last name, focused on the information before. "You have a godson?"

Harry smiled. "Yeah, Teddy. He is a year old this week. His birthday party is Friday." Harry thought for a minute, then added, "You should come. You could meet everyone. If we are going to start over, you should meet my family."

Hesitantly, Dudley answered, "Okay. Sure. But, just so you know, I have gotten better with the whole magic thing since living with Hestia and Dedalus, especially Dedalus, he loved to joke around with it, but I'm still a little twitchy. Not everyone has been given a pig tail by a wizard when they were 11. Kind of leaves an impression."

"A pig tail!" Ginny exclaimed. "This I have to hear!"

"It was Hagrid," Harry began. He told her the story of how he learned he was a wizard, Dudley interrupting every now and again with his own take on things. Then, he and Dudley started telling Ginny some of the other crazy moments they had been through, choosing to ignore the bad times and just find the funny ones.

After a few hours, most of which was spent laughing, they parted ways, Harry telling Dudley he would meet him before the party on Friday.

After leaving Dudley, Harry and Ginny headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. They were going to spend the rest of the afternoon looking for a birthday gift for Teddy. They headed back towards Fred and George's shop, pushing through the large crowds that filled the alley.

"Wow, I don't remember the last time I saw this place so crowded!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yeah, and every single eye is on us." Harry growled, frustrated at the attention they were drawing. The whispers followed them down the street along with the stares.

"You are going to have to get used to it. Frankly, you should already be used to it," Ginny said, leaning into Harry as they walked down the street.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Ginny laughed at his response. When they got to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, they found George behind the counter, checking out a long line of customers. When he spotted them, he called for one of his magenta-clothed employees to come take over.

"Harry! Ginny!" He said, giving them both hugs.

"Wow, George, you look a lot better than a month ago! Freddie sleeping any better?" Ginny asked.

George laughed. "Nope. But I have a lot of coffee in my system! Plus, he gave us the cutest gummy little grin yesterday. First one! I think Angelina and I could stay up year round if he gave us that grin each day!"

"Oh, how sweet! Is he upstairs? I'd love to see the little guy!"

"No, sorry. Angelina is having a little difficulty leaving him so she took him with her while she ran some errands. Anyway, you'll get one of your own soon enough!"

"True," Ginny admitted. "Still, I want to see my little nephew!"

"You will Friday. Is that what brings you guys to Diagon Alley?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "We need a gift for Teddy. Not every day your godson turns one! I just wish it wasn't so busy. I thought it being a weekday would help with the crowds."

"No, it's been like this for a while. Like people were waiting to do all their shopping until after the war ended and now that it has, they are going nuts! We are even expanding. Just bought Zonko's old shop in Hogsmeade!"

"George, that's great!" Ginny hugged her brother, happy he was expanding. It had taken months before he was even able to open the shop again after Fred's death and the expansion was a good sign.

"Yeah, really great George, but if Freddie's not here, we should probably get going. Leave you to manage this craziness," Harry said, gesturing around at the packed store, "and go out to brave the rest of the crowds. After all, I have a gift to buy!"

"Have fun!" George yelled at their backs as Harry and Ginny headed out to the street again. Around the corner, they found Tot's Wizard Toys and ventured inside. Nearly an hour later, the left the store, their arms loaded with bags of toys a one year old would love.

As they headed back down the alley, back towards George's so that Ginny could try one more time to see Freddie, the hairs on the back of Harry's neck tingled and his body filled with dread. Something was terribly wrong.


	21. Chapter 20: Attack in the Alley

**Chapter 20**

**Attack in the Alley**

**April**

Harry stopped dead in his tracks as Ginny kept walking, oblivious. A few seconds later, she noticed he was no longer next to her and came to a halt.

"Harry? What is it?"

Harry didn't respond right away. He was too busy trying to figure out what was happening. Now that he knew he was a praesagium, he knew he shouldn't ignore these feelings. And he certainly was feeling something. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up and he had a feeling similar to when someone was staring at the back of your head. He just couldn't figure out what these feelings meant. He needed more time to learn how to master his praesagium abilities but right now, he didn't have that time. Right now, there was something wrong.

After a minute, he turned to Ginny. "I don't know," Harry said, his eyes still scanning the street, trying to figure out why he felt danger nearby. But as far as Harry could tell, everyone around him was just average shoppers, going about their business. "I don't know," he repeated. "Something is wrong. But I don't know what it is."

"Wrong how, Harry?"

"I don't know. I just have the feeling danger is nearby, that something isn't right." He looked at Ginny. "I don't really know how this praesagium stuff works yet. Heck, I don't even know how much of the last seven years was that and how much was my connection to Riddle. But however it works, its letting me know something is wrong."

Ginny could see the worry in his eyes. "Okay. Then let's get back to George's. We can deal with it there. It will be safer than trying to figure it out, here on the street." Harry nodded and they headed off again.

They hadn't gone more than a few steps before Harry stopped dead again. This time, his sense of dread was overwhelming. Without any conscious thought, he pushed Ginny behind him and ducked. A split second later, a red flash went over his head as a stunning spell just missed him. All around him, shoppers screamed and began running, desperate to escape.

Keeping Ginny behind him, Harry yelled, "Protego!" erecting a shield charm around them, putting all his concentration and will into strengthening it to protect Ginny and the baby. Red blasts were coming at them from all sides. In his peripheral vision, he saw a silvery mist pass through his shield and streak off down the street, which had quickly emptied out as the shoppers had taken refuge from the battle in whatever shop was closest.

As spells continued to bombard Harry's shield, he heard Ginny behind him, "Harry, we can't keep this up! Your shield won't last forever!"

"I know," he said through gritted teeth, the effort of maintaining the shield becoming painful as a particularly powerful curse rebounded off their protective barrier. The Death Eaters had them cornered up against a wall with nowhere to escape. "What do you suggest?" he questioned urgently, hoping that the redhead had seen a way out of this.

"We have to fight!"

"No!" Harry responded vehemently. "You can't move fast enough to fight them! I can't let anything happen to you!" The panic nearly tore through Harry's voice as he struggled to keep it under control. How could he let Ginny fight? How could he protect her and their baby if she was in the battle? The images of all the other people who had died because he couldn't protect them flashed before his eyes, threatening to drag him under. Forcing himself to stay in the moment, his mind searched for a better way out of this. He had found a way out so many times before. There had to be a way to defeat their enemies this time too, if only he could see it!

Just then, a brutal curse broke down his shield in a blaze of red sparks. Immediately switching to the offensive, quashing his worries as his mind moved into battle mode, Harry fired off two stunning spells in rapid succession in the direction the curse had come from. Behind him, he heard Ginny send an impedimenta jinx at an attacker before whipping up her own shield charm just in time to stop the cruciatus cruse.

As Harry spun to face Ginny's attacker, he watched in bewilderment as their foe collapsed, ropes springing from the ground to bind him. Quickly glancing up, Harry saw George sprinting towards them, his wand out, firing spells at their enemies.

Spinning back around, Harry fired off a combination of stunning and disarming spells, followed quickly by a round of body-binds, taking down two attackers, whom he rapidly bound as George had done a few seconds before.

By now, George had fought his way to Harry and Ginny. Catching his future brother-in-law's eye, Harry yelled, "Ginny!" George nodded and immediately erected a shield charm around his sister as Harry continued to battle the Death Eaters on all sides.

Spell after spell was sent across battle lines. Harry kept himself between Ginny and the main force of the assault, knowing George had her other side. Harry had dodged a few cruciatus and imperius curses but he noticed that no one had fired off a killing curse. _The must want us alive_, Harry thought quickly.

Jumping to the side, Harry avoided a blasting curse but caught a piece of brick in his side as the curse took out a section of wall nearest him. Gasping, Harry ignored the pain and continued to firing off spell and curses, desperate to keep Ginny safe.

"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled, stopping an assault from his left. In the time it took him to spin back to his right, he realized he had moved too slowly, as ropes appeared out of the air, binding him tightly and causing him to collapse to the ground. Behind him, he heard Ginny scream as his head collided with the pavement below. Shaking his head to clear the stars from his vision, he struggled against the thick cords around him. This could not be how it ended. He could not lose Ginny this way. The idea of losing Ginny caused him to fight harder against the imprisoning ropes.

"Relashio!" a feminine voice Harry recognized yelled. The ropes holding Harry sprung away and he bounded to his feet, quickly stunning the Death Eater who had hit him. Too his right, he saw another Death Eater go down while yet a third had been distracted by another new arrival to the battle.

Harry glanced quickly in that direction and saw Hermione and Ron had joined the fight, Ron battling the third man, Hermione already binding the two she and Harry had just taken down. Red streaks of light flew between Ron and his opponent as they battled, Ron moving around rapidly as he dodged curse after curse. Whipping around behind Ron's adversary, Harry stunned him from behind and Ron bound him.

Glancing back towards Ginny, Harry saw that Hermione had joined the battle from that side, maintaining an offensive barrage of spells while George continued to hold a shield charm around them. Seeking to drive the remaining Death Eaters from their target, he and Ron sent spells at their oppenents from opposite sides. Now outnumbered and receiving a challenge from three sides, the remaining Death Eaters retreated backward. Harry heard the one closest to him yell "It's over!" The masked attackers then fired off one more round of curses and apparated away, leaving their captured friends behind and their targets searching their surroundings, ensuring that the Death Eaters were not sneaking up on them from another direction.

Once he was sure they were not returning, Harry lowered his wand. "Round up the ones we captured!" Harry directed Ron as he took a moment to survey their surroundings now that the threat was gone. Ron and Hermione were gathering the six bound Death Eaters while George was questioning Ginny, ensuring that she was alright.

Meanwhile, Harry was trying to understand what had happened. Reaching down to rip the mask off one of their attackers, he found the face of Prius Crabbe staring back at him. _Well, that makes sense, _Harry thought. _Probably blames me for his son's death_. Leaning to face the man, Harry cringed at the pain in his side. Ignoring it, he questioned, "Why are you here? What were you trying to do?" The round-faced man simply smiled up at him. Accepting that there would be no answers from the man in front of him, nor likely any of his companions, Harry turned his back on them and moved back to Ginny.

"You okay, Gin?"

"I'm fine, Harry." Taking his hand and placing it on her swollen stomach, she added, "We are both fine."

He looked into her eyes, reassuring himself that they had really escaped. Only then did he finally relax. As the adrenaline cleared from his system, he collapsed against the wall, the pain in his side becoming excruciating.

"Harry!" Ginny called as he slide to the ground, barely able to breath. Beside her, George leaned down, examining Harry closely.

"Looks like a couple broken ribs," George said, stating from experience. After all, the pranking business was not without its injuries. Quickly assessing Harry's other injuries, he added, "And some nasty bruises and rope burns. Nothing looks life threatening, though."

Harry smiled meekly. "Just hurts like hell."

"Well, yeah, there is that minor issue," George responded, laughing a little.

Over to the side, Harry saw a group of aurors had finally arrived and were taking the prisoners from Ron and Hermione. _Took them long enough_, Harry thought, frustrated.

Once Ron and Hermione had rejoined them, George helped Harry stand and then the group slowly moved down the block to George's shop, Hermione stopping briefly to let the aurors know where to find them if they needed to. Upstairs in George's flat, Ginny collapsed on the couch while Hermione began brewing a strong pot of tea. George seated Harry in a nearby chair, then disappeared for a minute, returning with a jar of rapid-bruise remover, one of Fred and George's early discoveries and an often used product in the WWW universe.

After applying liberal amounts of the ointment to the bruises on Harry's arms, George had him remove his shirt and began applying some to the bruises on his torso. "There," he said, "that should help a bit. But for the ribs, you should probably stop by St. Mungo's. I'm no good with healing bones."

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully to the Weasley twin.

Hermione returned with the tea and after serving Ginny and Harry a cup, sat down next to Ron. Once everyone was settled, Harry looked around at George and his two best friends.

"So, how did you guys know we were in trouble?" he asked.

"Ginny's patronus," George responded. "It showed up here and said you guys were under attack. I sent my own off to the Burrow to alert the others and then rushed out to help."

"Yeah, and his arrived in the living room while Hermione and I were there so we apparated here as fast as we could." Ron added.

"And just in time to save your sorry arse yet again, Harry," Hermione said, a smile playing at her lips.

Returning the grin, Harry quickly thought about all the times she and Ron had been there. It had been the three of them against any danger for so many years. "Yeah, we've had quite a few little adventures, haven't we?"

"All because I had to sit in your bloody compartment on that first Hogwarts Express," Ron said in mock indignation.

"And once again, we were left to our own devices. These Ministry aurors are always right where you need them, aren't they," Harry stated sarcastically.

"Showed up just as the battle ended. You have to admit, that is better than you would have gotten a few years ago!" Ron joked.

"But aren't you and Ginny supposed to have people shadowing you?" Hermione questioned fretfully. "Isn't that what Kingsley said?"

"We have protection at Hogwarts and in Hogsmeade. Plus, the Burrow is protected. But I don't think we have shadows or anything," Harry answered.

"Well, they really should be tailing you. You attract trouble, Harry!" Hermione looked worried.

"I just want it to end. I just want to go live a normal life." Harry sighed, glancing at his nine month pregnant fiancée. "I'm tired of constantly fighting. Frankly, I don't even think I want to be an auror anymore. I don't know if I want to spend the rest of my life the way I have spent the past seven eight years."

"Yeah, but Harry, you're so good at defense!" Ron declared. "It'd be a crime for you to let it go to waste. Just look at today. You really saved my sister. You were fighting them off right and left."

"Not really. I would have failed and we all would have been taken if you guys hadn't showed up." Harry turned to face Ginny. "This time, Ginny saved us. I thought I saw something silvery but I didn't really have time to think about it. Nice going with the patronus. That would go right through the shield, since it's a protective spell too. When did you learn to make the talking patronus?"

"Bill taught me, back when we were in hiding. Thought it might come in handy." Ginny was extremely grateful her brother had had the foresight to make her learn the spell.

"Thank Merlin for that!" George said. "It's a good thing you were able to send for help. Who knows what might have happened!"

"I know," Harry acknowledged. "I would hate to see what might have happened otherwise. I really don't know how we could have gotten out of there." Looking ruefully into his fiancee's eyes, Harry laughed quietly. "You know, I just might kiss your brother next time I see him. He really saved our lives out there."

"Now, that I would pay to see!" Ron exclaimed and everybody broke into fits of laughter, the tension of battle being released as they all laughed until they cried.


	22. Chapter 21: Plenty of Parties

**A/N: Phew! April finally comes to a close. Not much action here but hopefully it gets a few laughs! And we will get plenty of action in the coming months! **

**I'm having such fun writing this story and I hope you guys all like reading it (I'm sure it's a good way for us all to procrastinate on both sides of this little equation)! Let me know! The good, the bad and the ugly (got my first minor critique last time and it was helpful so I like to hear whatever you guys are thinking!) REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**

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**Chapter 21**

**Plenty of Parties**

**April**

A few days later, Harry apparated to London to meet Dudley and take him back to the Burrow for Teddy's birthday. He apparated to a safe point and then walked down the block to the same coffee shop that he had met Dudley at the day he and Ginny were attacked. This time, though, he didn't go in but just waited outside for his cousin.

"Harry!" he heard Dudley call out as he approached.

"Hey, Dudley. Ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Just promise me, no pig tails."

Harry laughed. "No pig tails, I promise." Dudley smiled weakly and walked back with Harry to the safe point.

"You know how to do side-along apparition, right?"

"Yeah. It's how Hestia and Dedalus took us to the safe house. Definitely not my favorite way to travel."

"Yeah, apparition takes some getting used to. But we have to apparate to get to the Burrow so just take a deep breath."

"What's the Burrow?" Dudley questioned as he grasped Harry's arm.

"My girlfriend's parent's house," Harry answered. "Okay, just turn with me on three. One… Two… Three." Harry spun on the spot, taking Dudley with him.

They reappeared just outside the Burrow's protection charms. Beside Harry, Dudley was doubled over, trying to catch his breath. Once he was able to breath, he looked out at the home in front of them. "That's the Burrow? It looks more like the Leaning Tower of Pisa."

"Pretty crazy, right? Best I can figure is that it's held up by magic. The Weasleys have seven kids and I really think they just haphazardly added rooms when each kid was born. But I love it. First time I entered, it felt like a real home. Some of my best memories are here." He looked over at Dudley. "Wait til you get inside. Petunia would faint!"

They walked up the pathway and entered. Dudley was fascinated, his eyes darting all around as he took in the strange surroundings. In the kitchen, knives were cutting of their own accord. A brush was washing dishes in the sink. There was a strange clock on the wall with a bunch of names on it. As he watched, a hand labeled "Fred" spun around and around while the hand labeled "Harry" swung to face "Home."

Harry noticed Dudley looking at the clock. "Yeah, that's cool. Tells Mrs. Weasley where everyone in the family is at all times. Fred's has been spinning ever since he died. I don't think the hand knows what to do since it can't find him anymore." Harry's eyes were clouded as he talked about the boy Dudley remembered from a few years earlier. "Mrs. Weasley added Hermione and I last summer. It was really sweet when she gave us the hands to add to the clock."

Dudley nodded, not really getting it. Changing subjects, Harry asked, "Want to meet everyone?"

"Sure." The pair walked into the living room, which was full of red heads, along with a few others.

Taking Dudley over to the closest group, Harry began introducing his cousin. "Dudley, you remember George," he said, indicating the closest red head. "And Angelina, Charlie, and Percy." Dudley nodded to each person as they were introduced. "Guys, this is my cousin, Dudley."

"I remember you!" George declared.

"Yeah," Dudley said, choosing not to elaborate. "Nice to meet you guys."

"You, too, Dudley," Angelina said.

Over the next few minutes, Harry introduced Dudley around to the rest of the people in the room. He was introduced to Ron, Hermione, and Audrey, who were sitting with Ginny. Then there was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Andromeda, who were seated on the couch.

"And this," Harry said, smiling broadly, "is our birthday boy!" In front of them, a 12 month old stood, holding the coffee table for support.

Seeing Harry, the small boy began bouncing up and down. "'Arry! 'Arry! Up!" Reaching down, Harry swung his godson up into his arms.

"Teddy, this is my cousin Dudley. This is your Uncle Dudley," he said, introducing the boy to his cousin. "Say hi to your Uncle Dudley."

Teddy examined the new arrival. His faced scrunched up and a second later, he was a miniature version of Dudley. "Dudy! Dudy!" he squealed, clapping his hands. Both Harry and Dudley laughed at the little boy's antics.

"Nice to meet you, Teddy!" Dudley told the toddler. "Love the look!"

"He's a metamorphagus," Harry explained. "So was his mum. Means he can make himself look like pretty much whatever he wants. Right now, he loves mimicking anyone he sees." Pinching his godson's nose playfully, he said, "Isn't that right, Teddy."

"'Arry!" Teddy declared, his features morphing into a dark haired boy with a lightning scar on his forehead. Both Dudley and Harry broke into laughter.

Harry let Dudley mingle as the party went on. He met another baby named Freddie, who had been upstairs sleeping when they arrived. The two month old seemed to have a gummy grin for anyone he met, which allowed him to be passed around the room for everyone to enjoy.

About an hour after they had arrived, another redhead walked through the door, followed by a silver-haired woman carrying a small baby.

"Hey guys!" the man called out. "Sorry we're late. Victoire didn't seem to want to stop crying. Took us forever to get ready." The new arrival smiled apologetically around at the room.

"It's your first outing. It's always hard to get out the door that first time," Mrs. Weasley said affectionately.

"That's our brother Bill and his wife, Fleur," Ron told Dudley, with whom he had been talking before the elder Weasley arrived. "And their new daughter, Victoire."

"You guys have a lot of new babies in this family," Dudley observed.

"Oh, yeah! But after Ginny, we should get a nice break for a while. Charlie doesn't have anyone right now and I don't see Percy having a kid anytime soon! And Hermione either."

Dudley nodded. Suddenly, he watched his cousin approach the new arrival and give him a big kiss on the lips. The whole room erupted in whoops and catcalls. Even Teddy joined in, squealing and clapping his hands, not really understanding why.

"Nice one, Harry!" Ron called out.

"Bloody hell, Harry!" Bill exclaimed.

"Language, Bill!" his wife admonished.

"Er- sorry. But, seriously, Harry. What was that for?"

"Ginny, you want to tell him?" Harry looked over at his fiancée, who was grinning, ear to ear.

"Nah. I say we let him live in the dark on that one!" She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You heard the lady!" Harry told his future brother-in-law. "Guess you will just have to guess!" He said, grinning along with everyone else.

The rest of the party progressed with much less excitement. Teddy provided a great deal of amusement as he crawled around, mimicking everyone he saw. When cake was served, Teddy stuck his face straight into his piece, covering his cheeks in frosting and eliciting a fresh round of laughter from the adults in the room.

After his presents were opened, the party began to break up. Freddie had already fallen back to sleep after Angelina had fed him and Victoire was getting fussy again, so George, Angelina, Bill, and Fleur were the first to leave, taking their children with them. Not long after that, Harry found Teddy sound asleep, curled up underneath the kitchen table. Figuring it was time for the boy to head home, Harry carried him out to the living room and, along with Andromeda, flooed him back to the Tonk's residence, returning about twenty minutes later. Finally, Harry came over to Dudley and offered to take him home, apparating him back to London, then departing, promising to let him know when Ginny had the baby and to keep in touch.

On Saturday, Ginny woke to find Harry standing at the end of her bed, grinning wickedly. Sure that the evil glint in his eye could mean nothing good, Ginny buried her head in her pillow.

"Ugh. Go away, Potter. I want to go back to sleep."

"Nope," Harry declared innocently. "Time to get up, my sweet. You need to get ready!"

Pulling the pillow tight against her face, Ginny declared, "No!"

"Accio pillow!" The pillow flew out of Ginny's hands and zoomed towards Harry, who reached out and caught it, the grin on his face never faltering.

Giving him a glare that had been known to make her brothers quake in their shoes and bolt into the next room, Ginny growled, "That was mean, Potter! I will have you know, it was your kid keeping me up all night. I swear, I think he bruised a rib. You try sleeping with something using your rib cage as drums!"

This just made Harry's grin even wider, if that was possible. The evil glare did not seem to be having any effect. "Doesn't matter. Time to get ready!" With that, he came around the bed and pulled Ginny into a standing position, which was quite a feat these days. He then turned and headed towards her trunk.

Ginny, however, wasn't having any of it. Rather than follow Harry, she just remained standing right where he left her, hands on her hips. "And what was that for, Potter?"

"I told you," he said absentmindedly, busy digging through her trunk. "Time to get ready."

"You are way too perky this morning," Ginny said, defeated. With that, Harry began tossing her clothes, which she tiredly began putting on.

When she reached the kitchen, she found her mother and Hermione's heads together. However, upon her entrance, they immediately sprang apart.

"Breakfast?" her mother asked, moving to the stove to prepare some food as Ginny glanced back and forth between the two women.

"Sure. Just some eggs or something." Her mother nodded and began cracking eggs into the pan.

As soon as she had finished eating, Hermione dragged her back upstairs. "Come on! Time to get all pretty!"

"What is bloody going on? First Harry. Now you and my mum."

"Nothing!" Hermione insisted. "I just thought it would be fun to give you a makeover."

"Honestly, Hermione, I would rather just get comfortable. I'm a whale. I don't think a makeover will change that."

"Aw, come on. Give it a try!" For the second time that morning, Ginny conceded defeat and let Hermione drag her away.

An hour later, Ginny emerged from her bedroom, refreshed. She had to admit, Hermione had been thorough. She started with a warm bath, then a facial. Then Hermione had fixed her hair, applied some subtle makeup, and painted her nails. She had topped it all off with a surprise outfit, which felt great after wearing nothing but expanded Hogwarts uniforms for months.

At the bottom of the stairs, Harry was waiting, the grin still stretched across his face. Clearly, whatever her mother and Hermione had going on, Harry was in on it. "Feel better?" he asked.

"Actually, yeah."

"Good. Now, we have a surprise for you!" He took Ginny's hand and pulled her along behind him, heading to the living room. Behind them, Hermione followed closely, clearly as excited as Harry.

At the living room door, he stepped behind Ginny and covered her eyes with his hands. Hermione reached ahead and opened the door. Blind, Ginny stepped into the room.

"Surprise!" Harry and Hermione yelled as Harry pulled his hands away. Inside, Ginny saw her family, along with most of her friends, in a room decorated with pink and blue balloons and sparkling balls of light.

Tears in her eyes, Ginny asked, "What's this?"

"A baby shower," Hermione answered, smiling brightly. "Your mum and I thought you might like one and Harry loved the idea of surprising you!"

"I'll bet he did." Ginny muttered softly. She could only imagine Harry's response to the idea of a baby shower. "That's so sweet guys. I love it!" She gave Hermione a hug then leaned up to give Harry a kiss.

"Oi! Not in public!" she heard Ron exclaim.

Mrs. Weasley bustled forward and led Ginny to a chair in the center of the room. "We had one for Angelina and Fleur while you were away at school and now it's your turn. It won't be long now and we wanted to spoil you a little."

For the next few hours, the Burrow was abuzz with activity. They played everyone's favorite baby shower games, each with a fun magical twist. Harry had been particularly good at summoning baby supplies from around the house, based on clues Mrs. Weasley had written. Ron, on the other hand, had mastered a game Hermione had called "Get the Baby in the Stroller," which she said was kind of like a muggle game called Pin the Tail on the Donkey (which Ginny thought was a funny name), only in this case, a woman pushed around the stroller on the canvas and you had to get the baby into the stroller. Ron seemed to have a sixth sense for where the stroller was on the canvas, despite his blindfold.

There was a light lunch and then Ginny opened a pile of presents. By the time she finished, Harry and Ginny had more cute little outfits than he ever thought they could use, toys, bottles, blankets, and a playpen, along with a special trunk they could pack all the stuff in and then later, when it was unpacked, it would produce fresh diapers every time you opened it.

That night, after everyone left, Harry and Ginny were laying on her bed, enjoying the quiet before they had to return to Hogwarts.

"Thanks for today, Harry. It was a lot of fun."

"It was mostly your mum and Hermione. I was just responsible for waking you up." Harry leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I don't think they trusted me with anything else. Then again, I don't think they knew what a hazardous job they had given me."

"You, who vanquished the Dark Lord, find waking your fiancée to be a hazardous job?" Ginny asked in mock seriousness.

"I find waking my _pregnant_ fiancée to be much more dangerous than Riddle ever was!" Harry responded, laughing. "Ouch!" He exclaimed, his laughter coming to an abrupt halt as Ginny punched him in the stomach. "I rest my case," Harry concluded.

"Prat."

"Yup!" Harry said, giving her a self-satisfied grin. Harry turned contemplative for a minute. Then he said, "You know I love you, right?"

Ginny turned to look at him. "Of course I know. I love you, too." Looking into his eyes, which were clouded with emotion, she asked, "What prompted this?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just still a little shaken up from Diagon Alley."

"Harry, that was days ago. Why now?"

"Dunno. Just kinda snuck up on me. Ginny, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you because of me."

"Then it's a good thing nothing's going to happen to me, isn't it?" Ginny said, softly, reaching up to cup Harry's cheek.

"Yeah, but what about the Death Eaters that escaped? I doubt they've given up. It's the story of my life. Bad guy gets obsessed with me, stays obsessed with me until one of us kills the other. And other people inevitably get hurt in the process. I won't let you become my parents or Sirius, who died just because they were in the way."

"Well, tomorrow we will be back at Hogwarts. We will all be safe there. And I'm sure the aurors will catch them soon."

"I guess." Harry said doubtfully. "I'm just so tired of always fighting." As they lay in her bed, he wrapped his arms around her. "I just want to be able to hang out here with you and the baby. I really had hoped killing Riddle would have ended all the fighting."

"A little naïve, don't you think? I mean, he wasn't the first evil wizard. Not long before him there was Grindewald. And there were more before that. History of Magic wasn't exactly a class about all the peaceful times. And there will be more after this. Even the muggles have their battles, so I've heard. The fighting will never end. Best we can do is fight back, keep letting the good side win a little more each time."

"Maybe," Harry conceded. "But right now I'm going to pretend it doesn't exist. I think I've earned a few hours with my head buried in the sand."

This made Ginny laugh. "I guess you did." And together, they managed to forget the real world for a few hours and just enjoy their time together, heads buried in the sand.


	23. Chapter 22: The Anniversary

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, hope you guys like it. Just FYI, it is midterms time so updates might be just a little delayed. Plus, the next few chapters have a lot going on so they take a while to write even without the added stress of midterms. So enjoy and don't worry, more is coming!**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**The Anniversary**

**May**

As May rolled in, the group found themselves immersed in their books. N.E.W.T.s were just a month away and their professors had begun pushing their revision hard. On top of that, Hermione had gone as insane as any of them had ever seen her. If Harry and Ron thought Hermione before their O.W.L. exams had been bad, it was nothing compared to Hermione before their N.E.W.T.s.

"These exams determine the rest of our lives!" Hermione would insist in a nearly frantic tone every time Ron tried to get her to take a break. No matter how many times Ron pointed out that the trio could have had nearly any job they wanted even if they had never taken the exams, Hermione's mantra never changed and if anything, just got louder. Harry and Ginny were particularly eager to delve into Hermione's study schedule. Ginny's due date was less than two weeks away and they both knew study time would be difficult to come by in the weeks ahead.

It was for this reason that Ron found the three in the library, studying, on the morning of the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Classes had been cancelled for the day and a memorial service was planned for that afternoon, but Harry and Ginny had wanted to cram in a few extra hours of studying and had found Hermione eager to join them.

"Blimey, guys! You couldn't even take today of all days off?"

Harry leaned back in his chair and rolled his shoulders to release the tension. He looked up at his best friend. "I have a feeling we will be taking a lot of time off very soon."

Inclining his head, Ron conceded, "I guess you have a point." Indicating Hermione, he asked, "Then what is her excuse?"

Looking over at Hermione, who had her fingers in her ears, blatantly ignoring Ron's interruption, Harry shrugged. "She's Hermione. Does she really need a reason to study?"

"Guess not. Still weird though. You would think she would have lightened up after hanging with us all these years."

Harry smiled. "You're the one dating her mate. You try to understand her. I gave up years ago."

"Nah," Ron said. "I'm perfectly happy letting her be weird and living in the dark on how her mind works."

"Any reason you guys are chatting away while I'm trying to study?" Ginny asked, glancing from her brother to her boyfriend, who glanced away sheepishly. Ron, however, suddenly perked back up, remembering why he was there.

"Yeah," Ron answered. "I came up here to drag you lot to lunch. We need to go eat, then get ready for the ceremony."

"Oh, Merlin, you're right!" Hermione said quickly, startling her friends.

Leaning towards Harry, Ron whispered, "Did you realize she was listening?"

Staring over at his bushy haired friend, who had frantically begun packing up her belongings, Harry whispered back, "Nope."

That afternoon, the students filed outside to the spot near the lake where Dumbledore's funeral had been held two years earlier. Once again, hundreds of chairs had been set up, this time in preparation for the memorial service. Harry and Ginny went over to join Ron and Hermione in the section reserved for members of the DA. Across the aisle, they saw the rest of Ginny's family, who were in the section reserved for members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Once the seats were filled, Kingsley rose and took the podium.

"Welcome. We have come together today in both celebration and remembrance. A year ago today, the Wizarding World was finally rid of one of the greatest threats we had ever faced. But it did not come without its costs. Over the course of two wars, we have lost many friends. I want to start today's ceremony remembering everyone we lost. I have asked a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Aberforth Dumbledore, to read a list of names, recognizing everyone we lost in this fight. I ask for a period of silence while each individual is remembered." With that, Kingsley returned to his seat and Aberforth took the podium and began reciting names.

"Wanda Abbot, Bathilda Bagshot, Alexandra Bede, Samuel Bede, Regulus Black, Sirius Black, Broderick Bode, Amelia Bones, Edgar Bones, Edmund Bones, Ester Bones, Ethan Bones, Ethel Bones, Mildred Bones, Priam Bones, Lavender Brown, Charity Burbage, Henry Case, Colin Creevey, Dirk Cresswell, Kyle Cromwell, Barty Crouch Sr., Cedric Diggory, Donald Dhustan, Ivan Dippet, Albus Dumbledore, Benjay Fenwick, Florean Fortescue…"

As Harry listened to the names rattle on, so many of them people he knew and loved, he found himself thinking about the days immediately following the Battle of Hogwarts.

x-X-x

_ Harry woke up, unsure of where he was. His eyes darted around, taking in his surroundings. As he recognized the bed, the scarlet and gold curtains, the window, he began to relax. And remember. He had finally defeated Voldemort. It was over. And he had come up to his old dormitory to collapse, exhausted after the stressful months._

_ Getting up and dressing, Harry headed down to the Common Room. He found it empty, save for a lone figure sitting on the couch by the fire, her red hair messy and knotted, her face still dirty from the battle. He walked over and sat next to her._

_ "How long was I asleep?" he asked._

_ "Only a few hours," she answered without looking at him. "Frankly, I didn't think we would see you for hours yet."_

_ "Me neither. I guess I'm still a little strung out and not used to sleeping more than a few hours at a time."_

_ "Mhm."_

_ The two lapsed into silence. It was a full five minutes before Harry spoke again._

_ "Ginny?" She looked up at him, finally allowing him to see her eyes, which were full of pain. "Ginny, I'm so sorry about Fred." Looking away from the depths of her eyes, he added softly, "I'm sorry about everyone. About everything."_

_ "Harry, look at me." Reluctantly, he looked back into her eyes. "It's not your fault. You loved Fred, too." Her eyes filled with tears at the mention of her brother but she took a steadying breath and got a grip on her emotions. "You didn't kill him. Voldemort did. You have lost more to this war than anyone else. The deaths were not your fault."_

x-X-x

"Bertha Jorkins, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, Remus Lupin, Michael Matthews, Gregory Maggin, Tyler Maggin, Vivian Maggin, Alfred McKinnon, Bryan McKinnon, Carrol McKinnon, Ian McKinnon, Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadowes, Jack Miles, Alastor Moody…"

As the names continued, Harry fought against the guilt he felt for all their deaths. He knew many had died before he had even been born and those that died after his birth were no more his fault than any of the others. Ginny had been trying to make him understand that since that very first conversation following the battle but there were times he still had trouble believing it. Without Ginny, he didn't know if he would have ever begun to come to terms with his guilt.

x-X-x

_"Come on, Harry. It will be fine. You belong here." Ginny tugged Harry into the Burrow. After the bodies had been removed from Hogwarts, everyone had begun to head back to their homes. Harry was planning on returning to Grimmauld Place but Ginny had insisted that he should return to the Burrow. However, once they had arrived, he suddenly felt out of place, as if he were intruding on the family's grief._

_ "Harry, you are family," Ginny insisted when he voiced his doubts. " Now, come inside!"_

_ As they entered the living room, the found the family gathered, sitting around in differing stages of grief. When Mrs. Weasley saw them, she rushed over and engulfed them both in a hug._

_ "Oh, Ginny! Harry!" She was difficult to understand through her tears. "Thank everything that is holy that you both are safe." She had been reiterating this sentiment every time she saw any of her children. "I was so worried about both of you. And Harry, I knew you could do it! But I'm so glad the three of you survived whatever you went through out there!" At this, Mrs. Weasley became hysterical and Bill came over and helped his mother to the couch._

_ Harry approached her once she had calmed down again. "I just wanted you to know how sorry I am."_

_ "Sorry for what Harry? Fred… Fred dying? Harry, that wasn't your fault. That was that evil bastard's fault. This was Voldemort's war and everyone we lost was at his hand." Her eyes flashed with anger as she spoke of Tom Riddle._

_ "I know," Harry said. "I just wish I could have stopped him sooner."_

_ "Harry James Potter, I don't ever want to hear you doubt yourself or wish to change the past. What happened happened. But I am proud of you. I am proud to have you a part of my family. I am proud you befriended Ron." Looking over at Hermione, she said, "And you too Hermione. I am proud of what the three of you have overcome together." Reaching up to take Harry's hand, she added, "And I am proud all my sons fought for what was right. I am proud Fred was able to be a part of that." Her eyes were full of tears as she spoke but her voice was full of conviction._

_ As Harry gripped her hand, he felt tears leak from his eyes. When he released Mrs. Weasley's hand and turned to face Ginny, he felt himself break down, finally giving into the full force of his tears for the first time since he had begun this crazy journey. _

x-X-x

"Matilda Quentin, Octavius Pepper, James Potter, Lily Evans Potter, Fabian Prewett, Gideon Prewett…"

x-X-x

_ In the days following the Battle, Harry found himself attending many funerals. After the last one, which had been for Remus and Tonks, Harry felt drained. Needing to be alone, he apparated to the first place he could think of._

_ Walking through the headstones in the cemetery at Godric's Hallow, Harry knew exactly where he was heading this time. Soon, he reached his parents' grave and sat down in front of the marker. Reaching out, he slowly traced his parents' names, wishing that they could be there with him, but knowing that wasn't possible. He had dropped the Resurrection Stone in the Forbidden Forest because he knew that no matter how much he wished, the dead would never be happy in the land of the living. As the master of death, he knew this well._

_ "Hi mum, dad. And Sirius, I know you are here too." They hadn't had a body to bury for Sirius but Harry knew he would have wanted to be near his best friend. "I did it. I finally killed him. I fulfilled the prophecy." He paused, thinking about the past seventeen years._

_ "I miss you guys so much. But I know you all died fighting for the greater good, fighting so that I could one day defeat Riddle. It still hurts. I wish you hadn't all needed to die for me to succeed. I wish Voldemort never was. But in the end, we won. I just wish it really was over. I know that there will be Death Eaters after me. And even if there weren't, it still wouldn't be over yet. We lost too many people. We lost Remus. He will never get to see Teddy grow up. And I know exactly what Teddy will go through. Well, not exactly. I'm going to be there for him, like you would have been for me Sirius, like you were at the end. I won't let him face what I faced. But it won't be the same."_

_ Harry sat in silence as he thought about his parents. Finally, he stood and conjured a wreath to place on the grave. "I love you guys. And I miss you. But you gave me what I needed to survive and protect those I love, so thank you. Your sacrifice was not in vain. You gave me the greatest gift anyone could ever give their child." He stood there for a moment in silence and then turned away and headed back out of the cemetery. _

x-X-x

"Rufus Scrimegeour, Thomas Segel, Wilson Segel, Severus Snape, Angus Sothe, Harriet Summers, Derick Thomas, Cerrin Tomes, Ted Tonks, Lyle Treston, Emmeline Vance, Fred Weasley, Nathaniel Zachary." Aberforth looked back up, having at long last reached the end of the list of names. "May you be with us always." With that final thought, he returned to his seat.

"Thank you, Aberforth," Kingsley said, retaking the podium. "We have heard the names of every man and woman lost in the fight against Voldemort." A shudder ran through the crowd. Most wizards were still hesitant to use Riddle's name. Kingsley, though, continued on, ignoring the disturbance. "But most of us don't need to hear the names to remember them. They are with us always. And they are the foundation upon which we build this new world.

"And they are not alone. More than just witches and wizards were lost in this struggle. Hundreds of nameless muggle men and women suffered terrible tragedies at the Death Eaters' hands and we remember them for what they sacrificed to a war they never should have been a part of. We also remember the other members of the magical community who participated, and in some cases, paid the ultimate price, during these wars. The house-elves, centaurs, and goblins all played a role in this victory and we must be grateful and recognize the importance of their aid.

"We must remember the price that was paid for peace in our world. But we must also celebrate. For today, we celebrate a year since the fall of the tyrant known as Voldemort. Exactly one year ago, the Wizarding World was liberated from decades of fear and now we work to build a better world. We came together, witches and wizards, muggle-borns and purebloods, house-elves and goblins, centaurs and giants, and we achieved victory, a victory we must work hard to preserve and be worthy of.

"And just was we remember those who paid the ultimate price, we must also recognize those still with us who gave so much." Indicating the professors sitting in the front rows of the crowd, he said, "The professors and students at this beloved school, who ensured that the younger students were safe when Voldemort threatened the castle walls and who then stayed and defended what they loved." Gesturing to the DA members seated on the right behind the professors, he said, "The members of Dumbledore's Army, named after one of our dear, departed leaders, who, though they were just students, fought against the injustices committed inside this school for years before finally coming together to battle the Death Eaters themselves in the final battle. And next to them," he said, gesturing across the aisle, "are the members of the Order of the Phoenix who have been fighting Voldemort since the beginning and have included multiple generations of witches and wizards. And we also recognize the countless others who fought against these forces of evil in their own ways.

"But there are three who gave more than any of us still here. Some call them the Golden Trio. I am happy to call them friends. And as their friend, I know they do not seek nor want recognition." A smirk appeared on his lips as he glanced at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were all shrunk down in their chairs, trying to appear inconspicuous. "And as such, I didn't ask them before arranging this. Better not to give them a chance to say no." Harry threw him an evil glare.

"We all know the story of what happened 16 and a half years ago on that fateful Halloween night. On that night, Lily and James Potter gave their lives, Harry Potter lived, and Voldemort was forced into the shadows for over a decade. The next time he threatened our world, Harry was there again, this time with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger by his side. Together, they stopped his return and gave us a few more years of peace. And then year after year, the three of them were a bulwark between us and danger, standing between us and threats we often never even knew existed. And then, Voldemort finally returned. And they never stopped, no matter how much we doubted them or how much we fought against them.

"Even in that difficult final year, when some among us worried that Harry had deserted us, they were out, searching for a way to finally defeat our foe. And they succeeded. I have had the privilege of hearing the harrowing story of what they went through in that year, with Voldemort and the Ministry hunting them, their path uncertain, and their quest as difficult as they come. Many among you will never truly understand what these three gave up and what these three endured in those months. It is a story they will only share with a few and I would not want them to be forced to relieve it again, so I will ask that you trust me when I say that they never stopped working to end our trials and they were brilliant. They accomplished a task that I believe few others could have ever undertaken, let alone accomplished. And then, they led us through the final Battle and we watched as Harry, who was once dubbed the Boy Who Lived became a true hero in his own right, even if he would deny it." Kingsley shot a glance at Harry, laughing softly at the glare he was receiving.

"And thus, as a way to honor their service and their sacrifice, I would like to invite them up here to take part in this next part of our service. Harry, Ron, Hermione?" All eyes turned to look at the three and silence descended as everyone waited. In the end, they really had no choice but to get up and head to the podium.

"I promise, nothing painful," Kingsley said. Turning behind him, he pulled the tarps off of two pillars that were situated behind the podium, revealing two large marble columns. "We at the ministry wish to immortalize the price paid in these wars and the heroism seen in the fight. And so, we have decided to erect a monument to those whom we lost and to those who stood and fought for what was right. And as a way to acknowledge your contribution," he said, indicating the three reluctant teens who had joined him, "we have enchanted these pillars so that only the three of you, together, can reveal the heroes of our fight. If the three of you would simply tap the pillar on the left and say '_Revelio'_ simultaneously, the names of all those who lost their lives will appear." The three friends walked over and did it, then stepped back and watched as names were rapidly engraved in the marble. Reaching out, Harry placed his hand on his parents' names when they appeared as Ron placed his hand on his brother's name. Next to them, Hermione had reached out to touch Remus's name. Together , the three of them lost themselves briefly in their memories.

Once every name was carved, Kingsley spoke up. "And then if you repeat the process with the other pillar, we will remember the names of all those who battled Voldemort." Together, Harry , Ron, and Hermione repeated their motions and watched as the names of their friends and family, along with countless others, were engraved around the pillar. Despite knowing it would happen, they each started a little when they saw their own names appear.

After the engraving ended and every name had been added, they stepped back towards Kingsley, admiring the new monument. Harry did have to admit that, even though he hated the spotlight, he was glad to have played a role in creating something so beautiful and he was glad to know that generations to come would remember what the Wizarding World had nearly lost and the price they had paid to keep it.

"Thank you," Kingsley said. "Now, before I send you back to your seats, I want to present the three of you with a prize valued above all others in the Wizarding World. And no, I am not talking about the Order of Merlin, though you, along with many others listed on that wall will be receiving one. No, I am talking about these." Grinning, he handed each of them a Chocolate Frog card.

Groaning, Harry flipped his card over and saw his own face staring out at him. "Oh, Merlin," he whispered while beside him, he heard Ron whisper, "Sweet!" Kingsley, meanwhile, just continued to grin at them as they turned and walked back towards their seats.

After that, Kingsley brought the ceremony to a close. As everyone began to stand and leave, Harry looked over at Ginny, who had a strange look on her face and a tight grip on his hand. Harry worried a little, knowing it must have been just as hard for her to remember everyone they had lost as it had been for him.

"Gin? You okay?"

Ginny took a deep breath then slowly but firmly said, "Harry, I think we need to get to the hospital wing." Her grip tightened significantly as her face scrunched up in pain. "Now."


	24. Chapter 23: Ginny's Trials

**Chapter 23**

**Ginny's Trials**

**May**

The world slowed down as Harry processed her words. "Is it the baby? I thought we had two more weeks?"

"Try telling that to this kid." Her grip loosened as her face relaxed, the pain subsiding. "I thought it was false labor this morning but it has been steadily getting worse all day and I don't think that anymore. I think this is real."

Slowly comprehending her words, Harry just stared at her. Then, he suddenly sprang into action. Helping her stand, he said, "Here, lean on me." Thankfully, most of the crowd had left, either returning to the castle or headed off the school grounds to Hogsmeade. Only the stragglers remained so it was easy for Harry to lead Ginny away from the ceremony space by the lake and up towards the castle without drawing undo attention.

As they headed out, Harry leaned over to Ron and Hermione and whispered, "It's time. I'm taking Ginny to the hospital wing." Nodding quickly, they stood and followed their friends to the castle.

Once they reached the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey spotted them and rushed over. "Potter, Weasley? Can I help you?"

"I think it's time, Madame Pomfrey," Ginny informed the school nurse.

"Ah, I see. Well, why don't you take a seat on that bed there," she said, indicating a nearby bed, "while I floo St. Mungo's to let them know you will likely be on your way soon. Then I will be back to examine you and see what's going on."

Harry helped Ginny over to the bed as Madame Pomfrey hurried back to her office. Once she was reclining back against the pillows, he collapsed into the chair, his hands shaking slightly and the calm attitude he had adopted outside slowly giving way to panic.

Seeing Harry shaking, Ginny laughed. "It's not like you're about to push a melon out of your body!" Seeing the apologetic look on his face, she just laughed harder. It wasn't often anyone got Harry so flustered he was physically shaking. Even Ron and Hermione joined in, not used to seeing Harry out of control.

Ginny's laughing stopped abruptly as she reached out to grasp Harry's hand, gasping at the sudden pain. Breathing deeply, she tried to avoid tensing up at the pain and waited for it to subside.

Just then, Madame Pomfrey returned and ushered Ron and Hermione away, drawing the curtains around Ginny. Harry, however, stayed at her side, his hand still in hers. "Okay, dear. Let's see what's going on." As Madame Pomfrey began examining Ginny, she asked, "So about how far apart are the contractions?"

"Four, maybe five minutes, I think."

"Hmhm. And when did they start?"

"This morning, I think. I mean, my back hurt really bad yesterday and when I woke up this morning, it was worse. Then, all day, it's been slowly moving around front. But it wasn't until the ceremony that I realized what was going on. And by the end, they were coming fairly regularly."

"That's all perfectly normal," Madame Pomfrey informed her, standing up. "It seems that you are definitely in labor. Your water hasn't broken yet but it won't be long now. I'd say it is time to get you over to St. Mungo's. They really have more experience than I do and I don't want to end up delivering your baby," she said, smiling.

"But isn't this early?" Harry asked fretfully.

"No, not really. The baby is perfectly ready, Mr. Potter. Don't worry." Pulling the curtain back, she said, "Now, why don't you and Ms. Weasley head to St. Mungo's. They are expecting you." She led them over to the fireplace. However, seeing how Harry was still shaking, she added, "Or rather, why doesn't Ms. Granger escort Ginny. Might be better for a steady hand to help her through the floo."

"Yes, that might be a good idea," Harry said, smiling weakly. "I'll meet you there. Ron and I will run and grab your bag from your room while Hermione takes you to check in. Okay?"

"Sounds. Like. A. Plan." Ginny said slowly as she squeezed Harry's hand again, using her other arm to balance herself against the fireplace as the pain washed over her yet again. Once it had subsided, she let go of Harry and reached over to Hermione. "Let's go. I do _not_ want that to happen while we are traveling!" Together, the two girls hurried into the fire and with a flash of green, they said, "St. Mungo's" and were gone.

Now that it was just the two of them, Harry looked over at his best friend and said, "Bloody hell. I don't think I've been this nervous in my entire life."

Ron just laughed at that as they walked quickly from the hospital wing and headed towards Gryffindor tower. "Really? Not even when you killed Voldemort? Or when you let him kill you? Or when we escaped Gringotts on a dragon? Or when we infiltrated the Ministry to steal the horcrux? Or when…" All the way up to the tower, Ron rattled off all the nerve-wracking situations Harry had ever been in. However, by the time they reached Ginny's dorm, Harry still hadn't heard a single situation that had him as nervous as he was now.

Fifteen minutes later, Ron and Harry were walking into Ginny's hospital room.

"Finally!" Ginny exclaimed upon seeing her fiancée walk through the door. Harry knew better than to point out that they had come as quickly as they could – Gryffindor tower was a long way from the hospital wing!

"Ron, why don't you go let your parents know what's going on," Hermione suggested, as Ron stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Uh, sure." Ron headed back out of the room, presumably to use the floo in the hospital lobby.

Meanwhile, Harry had moved to sit by Ginny. Taking her hand, he asked, "How's it going?"

"Okay so far. They don't even hurt that bad right now, really. The cruciatus curse is way worse. I think I'm ready for this."

Nearly six hours later, Ginny wanted to change her tune.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Ginny said, sweat glistening on her forehead as her face scrunched up in pain.

"Just breath, Ginny," Harry coaxed.

"Oh, bugger off, Potter!" Her body finally relaxing as the pain subsided and she took a deep breath. "You better not want any more kids after this, Potter, because I swear I'm never going through this again!"

From the doorway, the two soon-to-be-parents heard a soft laughter. Looking up, they saw Mrs. Weasley peeking through the door. After Ron had notified them, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had alerted the rest of the family and the waiting room had been full of Weasleys ever since. Seeing that they had spotted her, she opened the door and came all the way in.

"I swear, mum, I'm not kidding. I don't know how you did this so many times!"

"Don't worry dear. You forget all about it after it's over and you're holding your precious baby." Looking at her daughter with concern as Ginny frowned in concentration and her grip on Harry's hand tightened yet again, she added, "Plus, surely they will give you the Agony-Easer soon."

"They said she's not far enough along yet. Her water only broke an hour ago and despite the fact that the contractions are close together, she is progressing rather slowly," Harry informed Mrs. Weasley once Ginny's grip on his hand had slackened. "They said that maybe by time they came in to check again it might be time."

"It bloody well better be!" Ginny said through clenched teeth as another contraction hit, her whole being concentrated on not tensing with the pain but failing rather miserably.

Her mother noted her language but figured if any time was a time for allowances, labor was it. Instead, she just reached up to stroke her daughter's face. On the other side of the bed, Harry had taken out his wand and waved it over a rag, muttering "Frigio" to cool and moisten the cloth. He then proceeded to pat Ginny's sweat-coated forehead.

Just then, a healer came in the room and informed them that he needed to examine Ginny so Harry and Mrs. Weasley stepped outside.

Taking in Harry's haggard expression, Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a hug and said, "Don't worry, dear. This is a natural part of life."

"I know Mrs. Weasley. I just hate seeing her in so much pain and knowing it's my fault. And I can't do anything about it. It's killing me."

"I suppose this does throw a wrench in your _saving people_ thing." Mrs. Weasley laughed at the expression on Harry's face. "Just kidding, dear. And remember, you didn't do this to her. You both are in this together. So just be there for her." Harry nodded and they stood there in silence for a few more minutes before the healer came out and told them they could go back in.

Inside, they found Ginny sitting up in the bed, a smile finally stretched across her face. Recognizing the sign, Mrs. Weasley quickly said, "I see they finally gave you the Agony-Easer."

"It's wonderful!" Ginny gushed. "And it works so fast. Oh, I wish they would have given it to me earlier."

"Well, that's great, dear. I'll just go let everyone know what's going on and leave you two here to enjoy the respite."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said as she headed back out to the waiting room. Turning to Ginny, he asked, "What did the healer say?"

"Well, I finally passed the halfway point so they could give me the potion. But he said I still have a few more hours ahead before he thinks I'll be ready to push. So he said I should get some sleep while the potion is still fresh." While they had been at St. Mungo's the sun had set and night had descended on London. Harry and Ginny, who had both been up since early that morning and had been through a stressful day even before Ginny went into labor, were definitely tired and knew they were still in for a long night.

"Then you should get some sleep, Gin," Harry agreed. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

"You should sleep, too, Harry." Glancing at the empty bed across the room, she paused, then said, "You could sleep over there." Really, she didn't want to let go of his hand. It was her anchor when the pain hit and even though she knew the Agony-Easer potion had blocked the pain for now, she was hesitant to give up her greatest source of comfort. But she also knew Harry needed sleep as much as she did.

Sensing her reluctance, Harry shook his head. "No, I'll be fine right here."

An idea suddenly coming to her, she said, "Stand up." Then, grabbing her wand from the nightstand and waving it, said, "Amplifica Mollesco!" The hard hospital chair began to expand and fill out, finally becoming a large, plush chair. Satisfied, Ginny said, "There. Now you can sleep _and_ be here with me."

Impressed, Harry said, "Perfect." He sat back down and relaxed into the chair, never letting go of Ginny's hand as they both fell into a light sleep.

A few hours later, Ginny gradually began to stir, an uncomfortable pain stretching across her stomach as the potion began to fade a little. Next to her, Harry was still curled up in the chair, his had clutching hers. Still tired but unable to drift off again, she wiped her eyes and looked up at the clock, noting that it was just after 2am.

Using her free hand to rub her stomach, which was tight as a contraction swept her body, she breathed in and out slowly, trying to keep her body relaxed and allow the potion to work for as long as possible. Right now, it was just a prickly ache and she knew fighting the pain only made it worse and the potion was weakening so it would only mask so much.

Despite her attempts to remain quiet, she saw Harry open his eyes. Sitting up, he leaned forward. "You okay, Gin?"

"Yeah. Potion's just wearing off a little."

"Want me to rub your back?" he asked.

"Sure, that might help." Swinging her legs over the side of the bed like the healer had shown her, she leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, letting her body relax into her fiancée. He reached behind her and began working out the knots that had developed in her lower back. As each knot was released, her body relaxed a little further. They stayed like this for nearly half an hour, the pain intensifying slightly but being kept at bay by the work of Harry's hands and Ginny's careful breathing.

This was how the healer found them when he peaked in the door to check on Ginny. "Ah, I see you are up. I hope you got some sleep. I know you were out when I checked an hour ago."

"I managed a few hours," Ginny answered.

"Good. Now, I need to check you again. Mr. Potter, you can stay or go, it's up to you." Harry elected to stay with Ginny this time since it was just the two of them. He stroked her hair as the healer examined her. Finally, he stood up and said, "Not long now. Maybe another hour."

"Another hour?" Ginny said, exasperated.

Looking down at her with sympathetically, the healer said, "I know it's hard. Having a baby is a long and sometimes slow process." Patting her hand in reassurance, he added, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon and hopefully we'll be ready." With that, he left again.

For the next hour, Ginny let Harry massage her lower back as she concentrated on staying relaxed. As the minutes went by, she found the contractions began coming one on top of another so that she could no longer distinguish between them. Between that and the quickly fading potion, she once again found herself in a state of extreme pain, no matter what she or Harry did.

By the time the healer returned, she was ready for this to be over with. She was exhausted and felt like someone had performed the crutiatus curse on her for hours, never letting up. If she thought a few minutes at the end of the Carrow's wands was bad, it was nothing compared to this. Counting the time since she had recognized the contractions but hadn't yet told Harry, she had been in labor fifteen hours, with only a few hours respite with the Agony-Easer potion.

Seeing the healer walk through the door, Ginny said, "Please don't say I'm not there yet."

The healer laughed. "Well, let's see." He quickly examined her and then stood up smiling. "Good news. We are ready for to start pushing."

"Thank Merlin!" Ginny exclaimed. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out. Beside her, she heard Harry breathe a sigh of relief. A few more mediwitches walked in and began prepping Ginny. Soon, they had her propped up and told her she could begin pushing.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny felt like nothing had happened except that now it felt like someone had branded her with a hot poker as a burning sensation spread through her lower body, adding to the pain in her abdomen. Frustrated, Ginny's eyes welled with tears, her emotions strung out and no longer in her control. "Merlin, it hurts, Harry!" she said through the tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I'm so sorry, Ginny," Harry crooned. "But you can do it. Just keep pushing." Harry's face was awash with anguish, not knowing how he could help her.

"I can't do it, Harry. I can't. I want my mum!" Ginny cried.

"You can do it, Ginny. You are so brave. You fought off the Carrows and Bellatrix all by yourself. This is nothing."

Tears now pouring from her eyes uncontrollably, she shook her head. "No. It hurts too much. I want my mum."

Looking helplessly at a mediwitch, Harry pleaded for help. Jumping in, the witch said, "Why don't I go get her?"

"Would you?" Harry asked, hopefully. The witch nodded and headed out, returning a minute later with Mrs. Weasley.

Rushing to her daughter's side, Mrs. Weasley asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I can't do this! It hurts too much!"

"Oh, Ginny, you can do this. I know you can." Mrs. Weasley brushed a strand of hair from her daughter's face. "Don't you want to meet your baby? You just have to push. Harry and I are right here, dear. We are right by you. But this is up to you. You're the mum now, Ginny. You just have to push." Mrs. Weasley's confident words seemed to have the desired effect as Ginny's tears slowly dried up and were replaced by a look of determination, although the exhaustion never left the depths of her eyes.

"Thanks, mum. I needed to hear that. It just hurts so much. But you're right. Let's do this."

"Thanks," Harry whispered to his future mother-in-law.

"Not a problem, my dears. That is what mothers are for, as you will soon see." She smiled down at her little girl and then helped Harry support her as Ginny bared down again, struggling to push.

Finally, after another ten excruciating minutes, the healer said, "I see the head. Lots of black hair! Just a few more pushes should do it. Come on now, give me a good one." Ginny pushed with all her might, pain searing through her as the baby slowly came free. And then, at long last, the pain dissipated and she collapsed back against the pillows.

As a baby's wail filled the room, both Harry and Ginny found their vision obscured with tears. The sound was the most beautiful thing they had ever heard.


	25. Chapter 24: Family and Godparents

**A/N: Sorry! I left you guys hanging on a cliff hanger. I'm so mean. But my midterm is over and I somehow survived so now, you _FINALLY_ get the next chapter! Hope you like it. And remember, this isn't really canon, so you do see a little change but I like this way better.**

**Let me know what you think!**

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**Chapter 24**

**Family and Godparents**

**May**

"Congratulations!" the healer said. "It's a boy!"

Harry leaned down, tears in his eyes, as he kissed the top of Ginny's head. "You did it!" he whispered in her ear. "That's our baby, Gin. You did it!"

The next day, Harry and Ginny took James Arthur Potter back to Hogwarts. While they had been at St. Mungo's, all of Ginny's family had come to visit James and fallen in love with the newest member of the Weasley clan. Even Andromeda had brought Teddy by to meet his new "brother." The twelve month old had been less than impressed with the small baby, instead wanting to play with Harry and show him his new toy dragon, which, according to Teddy, was, "Fun! Fun!" He kept repeating this, showing off the newest word in his arsenal but continued to ignore baby James until finally, his grandmother took him home and left the young couple in peace. That is, until James woke with a loud wail, demanding to be fed.

As they headed towards the gates at Hogwarts, it suddenly struck Harry that they were all on their own. Over the past twenty-four hours, Mrs. Weasley had never been far away and the healers were also nearby to step in when he or Ginny didn't know how to do something. But at Hogwarts, they were alone. Sure, a handful of other students had had their babies in the last couple of months, but they were new parents themselves, hardly able to help out Harry and Ginny.

By time they reached the gates, Ginny had managed to calm James, who had not taken well to apparating to Hogsmeade. Thus, it was with a sleeping newborn that Harry and Ginny climbed the steps to the castle. In the Front Hall, they found Ron and Hermione waiting for them. They, along with Charlie, had returned to Hogwarts after James was born, leaving Harry and Ginny with the rest of the family at St. Mungo's.

"Oh, let me see him again!" Hermione squealed quietly as soon as she saw Ginny walk through the door. "He's so cute, I could just eat him up!" Ron looked horrified at the suggestion, causing Hermione to add, "It's a muggle expression, Ronald."

"Right," Ron said. "Well, he is cute, but don't worry, I don't want to eat him."

"Good to know," Harry said. "But why don't we continue this upstairs." It was only a few minutes until lunch and Harry was anxious to get out of the way before crowds of students began arriving. He wanted to keep James away from his fame for as long as possible.

The two couples, along with the new baby, headed up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Dobby," Harry said, prompting the Fat Lady to open the portrait hole, which they clambered through. Inside, the Common Room was mercifully empty, as most students were still in class. However, there was a solitary figure seated by the fire.

He looked up when the group came through the hole. "Oh, Ginny!" Neville said. "You had the baby? I figured that's where you guys disappeared to!"

"Hey, Nev. Come meet James." Ginny walked over to their friend and laid the baby in his arms. "James Arthur Potter, meet your Uncle Neville."

"Uncle Neville?"

"Neville, you're family. Of course you're James's uncle!" Ginny looked to Harry for help.

"Definitely, mate. Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Thanks guys." Neville looked down at the infant in his arms. "He's adorable. Has your hair, Harry."

Harry grinned. "I bet it will be just as messy, too."

Ginny looked up. "I love your messy hair."

"Thanks, Gin," Harry said, quietly.

"Er, right," Neville said uncomfortably. Changing the subject, he asked, "James Arthur?"

"Well, I really wanted to name him after Harry's dad," Ginny answered. "Or his mum if we had had a girl. Harry wouldn't be here without them and neither would James. They sacrificed their lives for his. And I finally get why. I mean, I knew why before, but looking at James, I know without a doubt that I would do the same." Harry walked over to Ginny and wrapped his arms around her. Looking up into Harry's green eyes, she continued, "I wanted to honor them since they won't be here to see Harry grow up and become a father."

Looking back at Ginny, Harry said, "And I figured if she wanted to honor my dad, then I wanted to honor hers. After all, he is my role model as a father, has basically been like a father to me all these years. I miss my parents but when I started Hogwarts and met the Weasleys, the pain eased a little. So he is named after both our fathers since both have been so important to us."

Silence descended briefly. Harry suspected Neville was thinking about his own parents, who had also given a lot and missed so much of Neville's life. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ron quietly pick up Ginny's hospital bag while Hermione took James diaper bag and they carried it up the stairs to the dormitories, leaving their friends to talk in privacy. After a minute, Ginny broke the silence.

"What's wrong, Neville?"

"What do you mean?" Neville looked at Ginny, the ghost of his parents fading from his eyes and being replaced by the slightly pained expression that had been on his face when they had first walked in the room and found him sitting by the fire.

"Come on. Don't pull that crap with me. We fought together all last year. I know when you are hiding something. You tried it after your first detention, trying to hide the torture from all of us. I still don't know why. I mean, we all were bound to face it. You were just the first. But still, you couldn't hide it then, and you can't hide it now. So what's wrong?" Ginny had stepped away from Harry and had her hands on her hips, clearly indicating that Neville was not getting out of this that easily.

Neville was quiet for a minute, looking down on the baby in his arms. Finally he said, "It's Luna. Me and Luna. We broke up last night."

"Oh, mate, I'm sorry," Harry said.

"Neville. Oh, what happened?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing, really. I mean, I really like her and we have been through so much together. But something just wasn't right. She is all set to go galavanting around the world after we graduate and she wanted me to come but I want to stay here. I helped save the Wizarding World, I want to stay here in Britain and help rebuild it." He had a lost look in his eyes. "I guess that is just what finally did it. I guess we just weren't meant to be." He carefully handed James over to Harry and glanced between the three in front of him, adding, "Not like you guys. You guys were destined. I guess Luna and I were just destined to be friends."

"Oh, Nev." Ginny rushed forward and engulfed Neville in a hug that reminded Harry of a Mrs. Weasley hug. "You'll find someone. Don't worry." Pulling back to look him in the eyes, she said, "You are a great guy, Neville. A hero. And I love that you plan to stay around and help rebuild. Let Luna be Luna. And you will find someone else that will let you be you."

"Thanks, Ginny." He pulled out of her grip. "I know. But it still hurts. I really thought she was it for me. Someone who knew everything we had all been through." Sighing, he said, "Don't worry about me, though." Gesturing to James, he added, "You have enough on your plate right now."

"If you need anything, though, let us know. Ok, Neville?" Harry told him.

Neville nodded. Then, changing the subject, he said, "I'll let you guys go get settled. I should be down at lunch anyway." Giving Ginny a quick hug and patting Harry on the back, Neville headed out of the portrait hole.

Harry and Ginny headed upstairs and found Ron and Hermione waiting for them in Ginny's dorm. Walking in, Harry immediately noticed that a crib had been set up in the empty space where a third bed once stood. Along with it, there as a changing table and a rocking chair. Quietly, Harry walked over to the crib and placed James inside, taking care not to wake him. Meanwhile, Ginny had sat in the chair, leaning back, her eyes closed. Sensing that Ginny was still exhausted, Ron and Hermione stood to leave.

"We will let you guys get some sleep," Hermione said as they walked towards the door.

"And we'll sneak down to the kitchens and grab some food for you," Ron added.

"Wait," Harry said, causing them to stop just inside the door and look back. He was now standing behind Ginny, who was once again, alert. "We had something we wanted to ask you guys before you left." Taking Ginny's hand, he continued on. "Ginny and I, we wanted to ask the two of you to be James's godparents."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears while Ron stood, dumbstruck, behind her. Laughing a little, Ginny looked at Harry and said, "I don't know, Potter. Maybe we were wrong. They don't seem quite up to the challenge."

Her brother cast a glare at Ginny. "Mocking's not nice, Ginny. Blimey, guys, are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Of course we are sure, mate," Harry said. "You may be a git sometimes." Ron turned his glare on Harry, who just smiled. "But you're my best mate. You both are. You both followed me through more than any friend has ever done before. I trust you with my life, so it's obvious that we would trust you with our son's."

Ron got a strange look in his eye. "Your son. Bugger all, Harry, can you believe it? You're a father. That is so weird."

Harry laughed softly. "Tell me about it. But, really, will you guys do it?"

"Course, mate. I'd be honored."

Harry turned to look at Hermione, who still hadn't spoken. "Hermione?" he asked quietly.

Suddenly, she rushed forward and pulled Harry into a hug, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Ha- Ha- Harry," she stuttered through her tears. "Of co- course." Harry wrapped his arms around his bushy haired friend, holding her until she calmed down.

Once she had finally stopped crying, Harry released her. "Merlin, Hermione, didn't know it was going to get that response."

Embarrassed, Hermione looked away. "Sorry. It's just, I don't know. I mean, godparents and all, it's a big deal. But I think it just finally hit me. After everything we went through, everything you went through, we all made it." She looked up at Harry and Ginny, and smiled. "And now you guys are parents. You have a baby. And Ron and I, we are godparents. Did you ever really think we would get to this point? I mean, I know you and Ginny kind of acted fast, but still. Did you ever think we would make it, all here together, for something like this?"

Holding tight to Ginny's hand, Harry looked around the room, seeing his two best friends, his fiancée, and his baby boy and thought back on the past few years. Last year, he had tried to envision Ginny's wedding to a faceless, nameless guy, someone who had a future, unlike him. Now, there were still Death Eaters out there, but Voldemort was gone. Harry's future was finally possible and somehow, he had already started living it.

Looking back at Hermione, he smiled. "No. But I'm really glad that we are."

"Me too." Giving Harry one more hug and reaching down to hug Ginny, Hermione turned and walked back over to Ron, who had been standing silent during the emotional scene. Taking his hand, Hermione said, "Don't worry, Ron. I'm done with the hysterics. No need to tax your limited emotional range." She grinned up at him as she stretched up to kiss him, effectively stopping his angry retort before it could even begin. "Now, let's go get you something to eat and leave your godson to sleep." Together, they left the room.

"Good, they're gone," Harry said, falling backwards onto Ginny's bed. "Now we can get some sleep!"

Ginny stood and walked over to him, lying down next to Harry, neither of them bothering to change out of their robes or expand the bed. Neither had gotten more than a few hours sleep in the past two nights. "Sounds good to me," Ginny said, curling into Harry's side. Before either one could even begin to drift off to sleep, James began wailing in his crib.

"Ugh. Guess not," Harry said, sitting up. "I'll get him."

"No. He's probably hungry. Unless you have some hidden talent you haven't told me about, I have to get him," Ginny said, sitting up next to him.

"Uh, no. No hidden talents here," Harry said quickly.

Laughing at her embarrassed fiancée, Ginny leaned over to kiss him. "Right. Then you go to sleep. I'll get him. And that way, next time, when he doesn't need to be fed, you can get him and I can sleep."

"Sounds like a deal," Harry said, lying back down on the bed. Before closing his eyes, he watched Ginny walk over to their son and pick him up, cooing as she went over to sit in the rocker. _Hermione was right,_ Harry thought as he closed his eyes. _ I don't know how we managed it but we made it through. And now, I'm the luckiest guy on the planet._ As that thought passed through his head, he drifted into a dreamless sleep, exhausted by the past few days.


	26. Chapter 25: Draco's Warning

**A/N: I know the name in the book was James Sirius but remember, this is only canon through the end of the Battle of Hogwarts. Everything after that is AU and I liked James Arthur better. I have plans and that name fits them better!**

**Also, sorry about the delay. I had so much due in the past two weeks that by time I hit Spring Break a few days ago, I was completely brain dead! And these chapters are harder to write even when my brain is alive. So sorry! But here it is, at long last. Reveiw! Let me know what you think!**

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**Chapter 25**

**Draco's Warning**

**June**

As the weeks passed and the calendar turned to June, the seventh years became increasingly frazzled, erupting at any disruptions in the library or common room. N.E.W.T.s were quickly approaching and everyone was frantically trying to cram seven years worth of material into their heads.

For Harry and Ginny, this meant that sleep was quickly becoming a thing of the past. For the first few weeks, James never slept more than two hours at a time and often slept for much less than that. At night, he seemed to be punishing his new parents, as he commonly woke every thirty minutes, often for no apparent reason. By the time he turned a month old, his parents were zombies. Between the lack of sleep and the stress of N.E.W.T.s, they were incredibly irritable and were often found snapping at anyone in sight, including each other. At one point, Ron even pointed out that they were worse than Hermione, and this was a Hermione before N.E.W.T.s!

This was doubly hard for Harry, as during the brief periods of sleep he could find, he often found himself jerked awake by his dreams. He was once again visiting the dungeon with the woman in the corner. It was frustrating for Harry because, while he knew that he knew the woman, he always woke up before he had a chance to figure out who it was. He knew it was likely a warning of some kind but he couldn't figure out what it meant. And, frankly, he was just too tired to try and figure it out.

Then, almost magically, James began sleeping. Still not for very long but for a least a couple hours at a time. The first time he slept for three hours straight, Harry actually had a panic attack, thinking something was wrong with his son. Remembering how often he reached over to make sure James was still breathing, Harry later would laugh at himself, knowing he had wasted his first chance to get three consecutive hours of sleep in over a month.

Thus it was with both a sense of trepidation and a sense of relief that Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione filed into the Great Hall along with the other seventh years to take their first N.E.W.T. Kreacher was watching James for Harry and Ginny, a task he had assured them he was up for, as he had often cared for the Black children when Regulas and Sirius were young.

Their first exam was Transfiguration, a subject which only Hermione truly excelled at. For two hours, the hall was filled with the sound of scratching quills. After a three hours of nonstop writing, the examiner called time and the students filed out, only to return a few minutes later, after the desks had been removed and the house tables put back, to scarf down their lunch. Then, the students filed into a side room, which Harry remembered from both his O.W.L. exam and from after his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. One by one, they were called back into the hall. When his name was called, he squeezed Ginny's hand, wished her luck, and headed through the door.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked out to the entrance hall, happy with how he had performed. He found Hermione sitting on the bottom step of the staircase, waiting for him.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"Good." Harry said. "I did great with the human transfiguration. I made myself look just like Ron, only with the scar. Couldn't get rid of it. The only area I had some trouble with was when I tried to transfigure a plush chair into a dog. Its paws still had the pattern of the chair."

"Not too bad." Looking down at her wringing hands, Hermione said, "I did horribly. I had to conjure a chair out of thin air and I just know the chair was too airy. I should have done a hard chair. The chair was too plush, I just know it. It was too filled with air! Who conjures a chair full of air from the air! I bet I get points off for that. Oh, and I'm sure I messed up the written exam, too! I just know I put in the wrong theory on question 27. I just know I put down the Theory of Substantiation and not the Theory of Transformation! It's a stupid mistake!"

"Hermione!" Harry said, snapping his friend out of her tirade. "You do this every year. I'm sure you did fine! And I bet you put the right theory. You always put the right theory."

Hermione looked like she was about to deny that when, thankfully, Ginny walked out of the hall. She walked over to the pair and sat down next to Harry, immediately dropping her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"Well, that could have gone worse." Ginny said. "Ron's almost done, too. He was with another examiner and they started just after me." Sure enough, a few minutes later, Ron joined them on the stairs.

Once they were all there, Hermione stood up. "Come on. We've got Charms tomorrow. Let's go over the notes again."

"Ugh!" was Ron's only response as he dropped his head into his hands briefly before standing and allowing Hermione to drag him up the stairs, with Harry and Ginny close behind.

After Charms, Harry and Ron had two days off to study for Potions while Hermione and Ginny took their Ancient Runes exam and several other students, including Luna, took the Care of Magical Creatures exam. The first day, Harry watched James so Ginny could take her exam but then they let Kreacher help again so they could both cram for Potions. Ginny was particularly good at potions but Harry was still dreadful, only having gotten a little better once Snape was no longer teaching.

By the time the weekend rolled around, all four friends were brain dead. However, none took a break, as Hermione and Ginny had Arithmancy on Monday and then they all had Herbology on Tuesday. While the girls split their time studying, Harry and Ron took over a corner of the common room along with Neville and spent their time reviewing more plants than Harry thought they could ever come in contact with. Although he did find that studying with Neville made everything a little easier, as Neville was still the best student in their year at the subject, even beating Hermione.

On Thursday, as the group sat down for their last exam – Defense Against the Dark Arts – there was a sense of relief. After all the years of fighting Voldemort, this was one exam Harry felt prepared for. He had firsthand experience with most of the topics on both the written and practical exam. Leaving the hall that afternoon, he once again found Hermione on the steps waiting for him.

"Done!" He exclaimed upon seeing her. She looked up and smiled, her teeth shining as her mouth spread wide.

"That one wasn't bad at all! I expected a lot worse. I mean, they didn't even have us demonstrate a regular patronus, let alone a talking one!" All four friends had learned the talking patronus after it had saved them in Diagon Alley over Easter break. "And the duel, that was a joke!" Each student had faced an examiner in a duel as the final portion of their practical exam.

"I know." Harry said. "After Bellatrix and Voldemort, the examiner was just too easy to defeat. Didn't move fast enough. I would have thought they would have made us face Hit Squad Wizards rather than just examiners, at the very least. Aurors might have been too much but at least give us a little challenge!"

Relaxing against the steps, the two friends lapsed into silence, enjoying the relief of finally being done with their N.E.W.T.s. After a while, Ginny joined them and Ron followed soon after, both also having dominated the practical portion of the DADA exam.

As they walked back up to the Gryffindor common room, Ginny said, "Now I just want to sleep for days!"

"I know what you mean," Harry said. "I don't remember the last time I got a proper night's sleep."

Looking slyly up at her fiancée, Ginny asked, "Do you think it would be horrible if we asked Kreacher to watch James a little while longer?"

"Ginny!" Hermione screeched. "Kreacher is not your slave! He shouldn't be force to raise your son! Really, I can't believe you would even consider making him watch James when you two are both perfectly free."

"Geez, Hermione, I said _ask_. I never said I would order him to do it. And I wasn't asking him to raise James. Just watch him for a few hours so I can sleep! I'm so tired, I'm actually worried I might fall asleep and drop him or something! So I don't see what is wrong with _ASKING_ Kreacher to help." Her temper flaring, Ginny glared over at Hermione. "It's not like his godparents have exactly offered to help much lately!"

Looking sufficiently guilty, Hermione immediately apologized. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ginny. I know you're tired. And I know Ron and I should have been helping. We just got so caught up in studying for our N.E.W.T.s." She looked down at her feet. "We are horrible godparents Ginny. I would completely understand if you wanted to replace us."

Sighing, too tired to stay mad for long, Ginny just said, "Don't worry about it, Hermione. I know you guys were busy. And James is Harry's and my responsibility. I wouldn't have wanted you to give up studying just so Harry and I could sleep. I know how much your N.E.W.T.s mean to you."

"Well, don't you worry. As soon as we leave Hogwarts, you just pick a night and Ron and I will watch James all night! You and Harry can get a full night's sleep."

Smiling, Ginny said, "Thanks, Hermione. That sounds like heaven right now." She looked over at Harry, who had judiciously been avoiding the little mood swing Ginny had just experienced. "Do you even remember what a full night's sleep feels like?" she asked.

"Potter!" Harry jumped at the sound of his name behind them, interrupting Ginny and Hermione's conversation. Distracted, he found his foot suddenly stuck in a trick step on the staircase the friends had been walking up. Turning to look behind him while trying to yank his leg loose, Harry was surprised to see Malfoy approaching. The skinny, blond boy had studiously avoided Harry all year. In fact, Harry hadn't seen him outside of class at all since he spoken at Draco's and Narcissa's trial.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked with a tone of exasperation.

Malfoy seemed to hesitate. Not in the mood, Harry pressed, "Draco, I'm tired. I want to get some sleep. So if you don't have anything to say, I'm leaving. Otherwise, start talking."

"No, you need to hear this, Potter," Draco said quietly. "I just don't know if you'll listen." Pausing, Draco looked directly at Harry. "I wanted to warn you. You know the group of Death Eaters that attacked you over break –"

"How do you know about that?" Harry asked.

"Never mind right now. It's not important. But that group, they are planning another attack. At Hogsmeade station, while we are all boarding the train to head home. They are after your kid."

"And how exactly do you know about this? Unless I'm mistaken, you are not exactly a popular guy among the Death Eaters," Hermione questioned, as the other three had turned to join Harry and Draco's conversation.

"What's it to you, Granger? I'm doing you a favor, warning you. Why do you care how I know?"

"Why should we trust you? Years of experience tell us you're a git. Just because I don't think you should go to Azkaban doesn't mean I will listen to you. So you are going to need more credible information than that," Harry answered.

"Fine. If you must know, I overheard Prewitt and Harper talking about it when they thought they were alone in the Slytherin Common Room during the DADA N.E.W.T. The sixth years had a free period and all the other Slytherins weren't around. And, like you said, I'm not exactly popular at the moment, so I have taken to using a Disillusionment Charm on myself when I am in the Common Room and don't feel like dealing with people's shit. So, Prewitt and Harper didn't see me and were going on about the attack. Prewitt is an idiot and up to no good, even after seeing the Dark Lord's fall and Harper's dad is on the run, you know, since he was a Death Eater. Anyway, apparently Harper's dad is working with the group and Harper was helping them plot a way to get to you and he had enlisted Prewitt to help. Oh, and they kept talking about Yaxley, so I would guess that is who is leading this little renegade group." Looking around at the four Gryffindors, Malfoy added, "That enough for you?"

"A Disillusionment Charm?" Ron said. "Blimey, Harry, we should have thought of that one years ago!"

"Ronald! Not the time," Hermione chastised.

"Sorry," Ron muttered.

Ignoring his friends' exchange, Harry focused on what Malfoy had said. Turning to Ginny, he said, "I don't know if I trust it but it wouldn't hurt to be careful. I mean, we knew another attack was probably coming. They didn't get what they wanted in Diagon Alley."

"Yeah. I would rather be safe than sorry," Ginny said.

"Listen, Potter," Malfoy said once he saw they were taking him seriously. Harry and Ginny stopped talking and looked back at the Slytherin. "I know there is really nothing I can ever say or do, but I wanted you to know I am sorry about what I did. It wasn't anything like I thought it would be. I was wrong. I blindly followed my dad and I regret it." His eyes took on a haunted look as he added, "There are some things that I saw or did that I will never forget, as long as I live, some things that I can never make up for." Visibly shaking himself, Draco's eyes cleared and he continued, "It's actually why I didn't take DADA this year. I want to get as far away from the Dark Arts as possible. I just wanted you to know that. And to know that I'm grateful that you saved me in the Room of Requirement. I know you don't trust me but I wanted to warn you anyways. I owe you a debt and if that weren't enough, I really am trying to change. Not sure how well it's working, but I'm trying."

Taking in the serious look on Draco's face, Harry considered for a moment before responding. "I'm glad you're trying to change," Harry said slowly, "but you are right, I don't trust you. If what you say is true, then I'm thankful you warned us. As for everything else, I really don't know what to say to that."

Draco nodded and said, "I know. I just wanted to say it." Turning to leave, he added, "Just keep your kid safe," and then headed back down the hall, disappearing around the corner.


	27. Chapter 26: The End of an Era

**Chapter 26**

**The End of an Era**

**June**

After encountering Malfoy, the four friends had headed straight back to Gryffindor Tower and up the stairs to Ginny's dorm. Inside, Ginny checked on James, who was sleeping, while Harry dismissed Kreacher and Hermione cast a _Muffialto_ spell on the door. Once they were sure they wouldn't be overheard, they all began to frantically debate what they had heard.

"I reckon he may have been lying." Ron was saying. "He always was a slimey git."

"Yeah, but what use would warning us do?" Hermione asked.

"Plus, he actually seemed sincere when he apologized," Harry added. "I never thought I would see the day he tried to help me but then again, I never expected his mum to either and I wouldn't be here without her."

"Yeah, but I still think he has an ulterior motive. I don't trust him," Ron said.

Hermione looked thoughtful. After a minute, she said, "But I still can't figure out what good warning us would do. If we do something to protect James, he doesn't know what it is, so it's not like they can somehow use that to their advantage. I really think he may have been trying to help."

Ginny walked over from the crib and sat down next to Harry on her bed. "I don't care what his motives are or if he was lying or not. I'm not taking any chances. Not with James."

"I agree," Harry said, taking Ginny's hand. "They have already attacked once. I'm not giving them another go at it."

"What are you going to do?" Ron asked.

"Dunno," Harry answered. "But we need to come up with something. Even if he is lying, there is nothing wrong with being careful. And I don't want to take any chances that he is telling the truth."

"Well, it's simple, really," Hermione said.

"Care to elaborate?" her boyfriend asked.

"You see, we simply won't let James take the Hogwarts Express. If he is never at Hogsmeade Station, then there is no chance to attack. And just in case Malfoy is lying about the location of the attack, we can avoid Platform 9 and ¾ as well." Looking into Hermione's eyes, Harry almost thought he could see the gears working in her brain as she came up with a plan. "Harry, Ginny, and James can leave school another way. Maybe through the tunnel in the Room of Requirement leading to the Hogs Head. Then they could apparate home."

"Won't work," Harry said. "Neville's grandmother sealed the tunnel last year during the Battle. She told us after she asked us where Neville was, remember?"

"Right. Well, there is always the tunnel to Honeydukes. You could apparate from there as well. Although that one is nearly as secure." Suddenly, Hermione's face brightened as she got an idea. "Or, even better, you just take the floo. I bet McGonagall would let you use the one in her office. Especially if we tell her what's going on. It makes the most sense. I actually don't know why I didn't come up with that one first."

"It's a good idea, Hermione," Ginny said, "but what happens when Harry and I don't show up on the train. The Death Eaters might go for you and Ron instead, trying to get to us. Or they might attack random students. If Malfoy's telling the truth, we need to protect Hogsmeade Station whether we are there or not."

"Good point," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Hmm. Too bad we don't have time to brew Polyjuice Potion. We could go as you and then, when they attacked us, we could capture them."

"Polyjuice Potion!" Ron exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Hermione!"

"We don't have time to brew it, Ronald. It takes a month, remember?"

"Yeah, but we don't have to! The aurors always have a stock of it. We can get Kingsley and the aurors to help. You and I will be there as usual but instead of Harry and Ginny, we get some aurors to take Polyjuice Potion and go in their place. Plus, we get some more aurors there under cover or something and when they go to attack, we can capture them, just like you said!"

Hermione looked dumbstruck as she stared at Ron. Meanwhile, Ginny was smiling and Harry said, "Brilliant! And we can finally get the aurors to do something useful!"

"It's perfect, Ronald!" Hermione whispered, leaning over to kiss Ron deeply. When neither came up for air, Harry cleared his throat loudly.

"Oi! Impressionable eyes here!"

Smiling sheepishly, his two best friends separated. Then, looking up at Harry, Hermione said, "James is sleeping. Plus, he's too young to be impressionable yet."

"I was talking about my own eyes!"

"Your eyes are hardly impressionable, Harry," Hermione said reasonably. "You and Ginny have had a baby. We clearly know you have seen it all." Hermione continued, ignoring the elbow in her side from Ron. Instead, she leaned back over to kiss him again. "Besides," she added quietly, looking directly at her boyfriend, "I think we should get ourselves some privacy and leave these two to get some sleep."

Grinning stupidly, Ron stood and pulled Hermione along behind him. "Sounds like a plan to me. See ya, Harry, Ginny."

As soon as they were alone in her dorm, Ginny fell back on the bed, laughing. "Can you believe those two?" she asked between bursts of laughter.

Lying down next to her, a smile stretched across his own face, Harry said, "Course. They've always been weird. And the kissing is definitely better than the fighting!"

"True!" Ginny agreed.

Slowly, her laughter subsided and the couple lapsed into silence. At the sound of James stirring, Ginny stood and went over to pick up the infant. As she returned to the bed, Harry moved up against the headboard and Ginny sat down, leaning into his arm. The two of them stared down at the dark haired baby in her arms.

"Do you really think Ron's plan will work?" Ginny asked quietly.

"Yeah, I really do. It's a good idea. I would let you and James do it if I didn't think it would work," Harry responded equally quiet. Squeezing her shoulders reassuringly, Harry relaxed back against the bed with his family.

A few nights later, Harry and Ginny headed down to the Great Hall for the End-of-Year Feast. They had once again asked Kreacher to watch James, which he had been more than happy to do. The elf actually seemed to enjoy the time he spent with the young Potter. However, Harry had still had a difficult time dragging Ginny away from James. She had been hesitant to leave his side ever since Malfoy's warning. Thus they were alone in the halls, having told to Ron and Hermione to go ahead and save them a seat.

When they entered the Great Hall, it was decked out in Scarlett and Gold. The sight made Harry smile, remembering all the previous times End-of-Year Feasts. He was immensely proud to have helped Gryffindor hold onto the House Cup for his entire time at Hogwarts. The final 150 points Gryffindor had been awarded when they had defeated Ravenclaw and won the Quidditch Cup had sealed their victory again for the House Cup as well. Frankly, Harry had no idea how he had managed to catch the snitch in that game, as it had been only three days after James's birth and Harry had been nearly asleep on his broom. It was probably only because of Harry's skill as a seeker and the fact that Ravenclaw's seeker was only a second year, in her first year with the team and therefore not as experienced as Harry, that they had even managed to pull out a victory.

Sitting down in the empty seats next to Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny quickly filled their plates.

His mouth full of chicken, Ron looked over at Harry and said, "Errthigredferrow?"

"Didn't quite catch that, Ron," Harry said, amused.

Swallowing quickly, Ron asked, "Everything ready for tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Kingsley contacted us earlier today to tell us that the final arrangements had been made."

Harry and Ginny had gone to see McGonagall the day after Malfoy's warning to let her in on their plan. She had been quick to agree that they could use the Floo in her office and had also contacted Kingsley for them. The only change she had made had been to arrange for Ron, Hermione, and the two disguised aurors to arrive at the train late so that the other students would already be onboard, away from trouble, before the attack would begin. They were going to have Hagrid loudly inform the conductor that a few students were running late so that the Death Eaters wouldn't get suspicious.

"Good."

As the dinner dishes cleared and desserts popped up, the seventh years found themselves reminiscing. So much had happened in the castle and now they were leaving. Neville, who was sitting next to Ron, had joined in and they spent the rest of the feast telling their favorite stories from their time at Hogwarts.

"Remember the time Hermione used the body-bind on Neville?"

"Yeah! I couldn't believe it!"

"Wait? When was this?"

"Before your time, Gin."

"You know, I actually got the idea from Malfoy. Remember when he had used the leg-locker on Neville earlier that year? You hopped all the way up to the Common Room. I still don't know how you managed to climb through the portrait hole."

"Well, you remember the time Hermione dueled Malfoy the muggle way?"

"I heard about that! Did you really do it, Hermione?"

"He had just made me so mad!"

"We really were a bad influence on her, Harry."

"I think it all worked out for the best."

"You three are definitely something else. I still remember the first time I felt a little bit like I was part of the group, when you let us come with you to the Ministry, Harry."

"Yeah, Ginny, that's the same time I felt like part of the group, too."

"Are you kidding, Neville! You were important way before that. You were the one who saved my life before the second task in the Triwizard Tournament."

"What do you mean?"

"Dobby found out about gillyweed from you. The book Moody, I mean Crouch, gave you."

"Really?"

"That's what he told me. Saved my butt, that nasty plant."

"The Triwizard Tournament. That was a stupid experiment. I think Ron and I spent more time with you in classrooms that year than in any other year combined. Every time we turned around, we were trying to learn new spells for that stupid tournament!"

"I don't know. We spent a lot of time in the Room of Requirement fifth year learning new spells with the DA. Might have been nearly as much time as during fourth year."

"I loved the DA. You guys really taught me a lot that year."

"I'm glad. But I really think you were the ultimate leader of the DA. You, Ginny, and Luna."

"Yeah, we had a heck of a time while you guys were gone. But I think we actually learned the most from Lupin. Remember how he let us face a boggart the very first day of class. It was bloody sweet."

"He was definitely the best. I really miss him and Tonks. Remember his end of year exam? Hermione came out in tears because the boggart had told her she failed an exam or something like that?"

"Hey! Not all of us seem to get defense without trying, _Harry!_"

"Oh please, Hermione. You were top of everything!"

"Yeah, we actually used to make you play chess with Ron because we thought it would be good for you to fail at something every once and a while."

"Okay, fine! Let's stop ganging up on me. It's someone else's turn!"

The stories continued until McGonagall stood to give her final speech and congratulate the Gryffindors. Finally, everyone headed back to the dormitories.

Before heading back to Ginny's dorm, Harry followed Ron to the seventh year boys' dormitory, taking one last time to look around at the first place that had felt like home. Then, he turned around and headed back to Ginny's dorm and to those who now felt like home.

The next morning, Harry and Ginny met Ron and Hermione in the common room after everyone had headed down to the carriages. After a few minutes, two aurors and McGonagall climbed through the portrait hole.

"Ready, Potter?"

"Definitely, Professor."

"Alright, then if you could put in your hair," she said, holding out two flasks of polyjuice potion to Harry and Ginny. Once Harry's had turned gold and Ginny's had turned red, she handed them to the aurors and soon, there were two Harrys and two Ginnys. After promising to see each other back at the Burrow, Ron and Hermione followed the aurors out the portrait hole and then Harry and Ginny, along with James, followed McGonagall out the portrait hole and up to her office. Saying a quick goodbye to their former head of house, Harry shrunk down his, Ginny's and James's things and took them through the Floo, Ginny and James following close behind.

As soon as they came through the fireplace, Mrs. Weasley had them engulfed in hugs. "Oh, I'm so glad you're home. And look at this sweetie! He has gotten so big!"

"Ugh, mum. You're suffocating me!" Ginny gasped.

"Sorry," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling away. "Well, I've got James all set up in Percy's old room. And Harry, I have you in Bill and Charlie's old room. No need for you to share with Ron." Looking closely at the two teens in front of her, she added, "And there will also be no sharing between the two of you until you are married. This little munchkin does not need a sibling."

"Understood, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said. "And I had one more thing to ask you."

"Anything dear."

"Well, I told Andromeda I would take Teddy every other weekend to give her a break. I offered more but she said she had it covered whereas Ginny and I had a little more on our plates. Anyway, she finally agreed to alternate weekends. I know it's asking a lot but is there room for Teddy? Otherwise, I can take him to Grimmauld Place."

"Of course, Harry. There is plenty of room. You needn't keep offering to go to Grimmauld Place. I love having you here. And Teddy can share with James. Since James will likely spend the nights in with either you or Ginny, they will be fine sharing."

"That's great, Mrs. Weasley. Thanks."

Harry and Ginny spent the rest of the day settling James into his new room and unpacking themselves. Finally, right before dinner, they heard the door open and Ron call out "We're home!"

Before Mrs. Weasley even had a chance to reach them, Ginny had already rushed in and smacked her brother's arm. "Keep your voice down. James is asleep and if you wake him, his godfather is dealing with it!"

"Blimey, sorry sis."

"Just keep your voice down."

Harry walked in to the kitchen. "Hey. What happened at Hogsmeade?"

Ron and Hermione sat down at the table and Harry and Ginny joined them. They exchanged a look before Ron said, "Well, Malfoy wasn't lying."

"What happened?" Harry asked again while Ginny said, "Did you catch them?"

"We managed to catch Harper and Goyle but Yaxley got away," Hermione informed them. "The aurors took them back to the Ministry. Hopefully one of them will crack and let us know where to find Yaxley."

"Yeah, hopefully," Harry said.

"How was the train?" Ginny asked, changing the subject.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances again, before Hermione turned back to Ginny, and excited gleam in her eyes. "Well, you see, the train ride was pretty great."

"Yeah, we got a whole compartment to ourselves," Ron interjected.

"Oh, Ron, I don't want to hear about that!" Harry said, covering his ears.

"Harry! We actually used the privacy for something else," Hermione said slyly.

"Really?" Ginny squealed.

"Really," said Hermione, beaming.

"I'm confused," Harry said, looking around at everyone else at the table.

"It was so romantic, actually. While we were on the train for the last time, Ron asked me to marry him!" Hermione smiled broadly while Ron grinned.

"Ron! Didn't know you had it in you!" Harry exclaimed. "Congrats!" Standing up and walking around the table, Harry hugged his two best friends, thrilled they had finally gotten together.


	28. Chapter 27: A Summer Rountine

**Chapter 27**

**A Summer Routine**

**July**

By time the four friends had settled into a summer routine, it was July. Harry and Ginny were still getting little sleep but, now that N.E.W.T.s were over, it seemed like infinitely more than before. Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, were often found out in the garden, alone. With Hermione staying with her parents for the summer, Ron was eager to avoid a crowd during the many times she showed up at the Burrow.

Mrs. Weasley was bustling around, excitedly planning two weddings. Ron and Hermione had decided to wait to get married until they had a chance to start working and save some money. Thus, they were waiting til the following spring. But that didn't stop Mrs. Weasley from eagerly planning the wedding. Harry and Ginny, however, had chosen to get married quickly, a week after Ginny's 18th birthday, giving Mrs. Weasley just over a month to plan.

And so the Weasley household quickly settled into the routine. Hermione would show up sometime after breakfast and would then disappear with Ron until lunch. During that time, Mrs. Weasley would go about her business while Harry and Ginny took care of James. After lunch, while James was napping, she would rope the couple into helping with wedding details while Ron and Hermione snuck off for a few more hours. Then, after James woke up, Mrs. Weasley would track down her son and begin badgering them on wedding details (either their own or Harry and Ginny's, given that they were the maid of honor and best man). Some nights, Hermione stayed for dinner and some nights she returned home to spend time with her parents whom she had not seen much since bringing them back from Australia the summer before.

That lasted for a few weeks. Two weeks into July, Hermione headed off to the Ministry of Magic to meet with the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. When she returned a few hours later, she came into the Burrow with a bright smile on her face.

"Ron!" she exclaimed upon seeing her fiancée at the kitchen table.

"How'd it go?"

"Amazing! They are forming a new House-Elf Liaison Office. They offered me my choice of jobs, either there or with the Werewolf Registry." She threw herself down in the chair next to Ron. "I don't know which one to take, they both sound absolutely perfect! I mean, I have been interested in elf rights for years and now people are finally listening. It would be incredible to be involved from the very beginning. On the other hand, I could really make some changes for werewolves and Remus would have loved that. I could help repeal some of those draconian measures Umbridge passed. Oh, I just don't know!"

"When do you have to tell them by?"

"The end of the week. They want me to start Monday."

Ron looked slightly crestfallen at this news. "Monday? So soon?"

"You knew I would start work eventually, Ron. I can't keep making out with you in the garden all day."

"I would be okay with that!"

"Well, I have to get a job. And this is my dream job. I just don't know how to pick!"

Leaning over to kiss her, Ron whispered, "Well, then don't pick right now. Why don't we head back out to the garden?" Laughing quietly against his lips, Hermione quickly agreed.

Eventually, the next week did come and Hermione headed into work at the newly formed House-Elf Liaison Office, leaving Ron moping around the house all day. Watching his best friend wonder aimlessly from room to room, Harry wondered if the pair of them would ever figure out what they wanted to do. The auror option was still open but neither one was sure if they were ready to return to the battle against dark wizards. However, whether or not they were ready, the fact remained that dark wizards were still after Harry and anyone close to him.

Thus it was in frustration that Harry headed down to breakfast one morning a week later, after having once again been awoken by James before he could identify the woman in the corner of the room he so often dreamed about. He knew the dreams meant someone he loved was in danger. Not that it was news. But he had been having the same dream for months and still couldn't figure what it meant.

As he sat down at the table, Mrs. Weasley set a plate of food in front of him. He ate in silence, listening to Hermione and Ron arguing about some new, pointless thing. She had taken to coming over for breakfast before work and often ended up in an argument with her boyfriend. He smiled a little, comforted by the fact that some things about his friends would never change. A few minutes later, Ginny came down carrying James. Setting him in the carrier at the end of the table, she sat down and began digging into the plate of food her mother set down.

Suddenly, Harry heard Hermione gasp. Looking up sharply, he found her standing up, pointing to the window. He followed her gaze and saw four brown barn owls flying towards the Burrow.

"I bet it's our N.E.W.T. results," Ginny said, getting up to open the window. As the four owls swooped in, they landed in front of each of the four friends. After Ron, Ginny, and Harry had removed their letters, the owls flew back out into the morning sky. Hermione, however, seemed frozen. Sighing, Ginny reached over and detached the fourth letter, saying "Hermione, relax. You've already got a job. These results don't even matter!"

"But- but what if I failed? What if my scores are so low that they fire me? How can you say they don't matter?" Hermione fretted. "Hey!" she screeched when Ron reached over and took her letter, interrupting her panicked tirade. Ron, however, simply ignored it and unrolled the scroll. His eyes, darting back and forth quickly, he absorbed the contents of the letter.

"Wow, Hermione. You did terrible. I mean, you managed Os in everything except herbology. Terrible. You got an E in herbology. Must have had a question about identifying edible mushrooms. Guess I didn't notice that question." Smiling, he looked up at his girlfriend, who was relaxing slightly at his teasing tone. "What will you do with an E in herbology? House elves really care if you can identify a tantacula plant. They will be so disappointed."

Now laughing, Hermione snatched her letter back. "Stop being mean and read your own letter!"

"Fine," Ron answered, grinning. The other three slit open their letters while Hermione read hers for herself.

Harry unrolled his slowly, took a deep breath, and looked down.

_Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test Results_

_Pass Grades:_

_Outstanding (O)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

_Acceptable (A)_

_Fail Grades:_

_Poor (P)_

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

_Harry James Potter has achieved:_

_Charms O_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts O_

_Herbology E_

_Potions E_

_Transfiguration E_

After reaching the end of his results, Harry exhaled. He had done much better than expected. Two Os! Harry had known he had done well in DADA but the O in Charms was a welcomed surprise. He had even managed an E in Potions! _I can be an auror!_ Harry thought excitedly. Then he realized what he had thought. Maybe he wasn't as ready to give up on fighting the Dark Arts as he had previously thought. He filed that question away for later and looked up to see how everyone else had done. Ron immediately caught his eye.

"How'd you do, mate?" Ron asked.

"Great. Two Os, three Es! You?"

"O in Defense, Es in Charms, Herbology, and Transfiguration. A in Potions. I'm happy."

"That's great, Ron!" Harry quickly looked over at Ginny, who was still reading her results. "Gin?" he asked tentatively.

She looked up, smiling brightly. "I don't know how I did it. I was so tired. But I got seven N.E.W.T.s!" She leaned over to kiss Harry quickly, then turned to tickle James. "Did you hear that, buddy? Your mum got seven N.E.W.T.s. Os in Defense and Arithemancy. Es in everything else! You hear that James? You got a smart mummy!" As James gurgled, the atmosphere at the table relaxed, all four teens happy with their results.

The atmosphere was broken when Hermione stood to go into work. Ron kissed her goodbye at the fireplace and then slumped back down in his chair at the table. Every time Hermione left for work, Ron would descend into a funk. Sensing the need to distract his friend, Harry came up with a plan

"Hey Ron? Would you do me a favor?"

Ron looked up. "What'd you want?"

"I really want to introduce Ginny and James to my parents," he told Ron, "and I don't want to wait until every Death Eater across the country is captured. But I don't want to be reckless. Any chance you could come and provide some backup?" On the one hand, Harry was asking to distract his friend but on the other hand, he really did want to take Ginny and James to Godric's Hallow and did not want to go without some sort of protection.

Ron's eyes brightened at the thought of actually doing something active. "I get it, mate. I'll come and keep an eye out. Never hurts to have an extra set of eyes."

So, the four of them headed outside of the Burrow's protection and apparated to Godric's Hallow. From there, Harry led them down the main street and to the cemetery next to the church. Winding through the graves, they headed in the direction of Harry's parents, with Ron straggling behind, keeping an eye on their surroundings. When they reached the graves, Harry pulled Ginny close, wrapping his arm around her and placing his other arm on James's back, who was in a carrier on Harry's chest. They stood there silently for a few minutes. Then, Harry starting talking.

"Hey mum, dad," he said softly. "I'm sorry I haven't visited lately but I decided to go back to Hogwarts for seventh year." Harry felt weird talking to a headstone but he knew, somewhere out there, his parents could hear him. "And things have been really busy. But I wanted to formally introduce you to my fiancée, Ginny. Sirius, you remember Ginny? Tell my parents all about her for me."

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Hey Sirius," Ginny said quietly.

"I love her so much. Still can't figure out what she sees in me but apparently there is something. Ow!" Harry smiled down at Ginny as she smacked his arm. "Anyway, I also wanted you to meet another very important guy." He turned James in his arms so he was facing the headstones. "This is my son, James Arthur Potter." Harry didn't know why he was nervous. His parents couldn't react to the news that he and Ginny had had a baby while still in school. There would be no yelling like when they told Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Plus, Harry knew his parents were watching and so they really already knew about James. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

"We named him after you and Ginny's dad," Harry continued. "We made Ron and Hermione godparents. I would have loved to see you give them tips, Sirius. And I wish you guys were here, too, mum. This year has been hard and I missed you. But Ginny and I made it through and now I have a family again. I didn't know if I was ready to be a dad but now I wouldn't give him up for anything. Although I definitely miss a good night's sleep," Harry said with a grin. "This guy has a good set of lungs!" Harry heard Ginny's soft laugh next to him.

Getting serious again, Harry said, "And I appreciate what you guys did for me to live even more now. I used to blame myself for your death, knowing you had died to save me, that you would still be alive if I had never been born. But I get it now. I really do. I would trade my life for James's in a heartbeat. I would give everything I have to keep him safe. And I would never regret it. He and Ginny are the best things to ever happen to me." Harry stopped, tears swimming in his eyes.

"Do you really mean that, Harry?" Ginny asked him.

"Of course. You and James are the best things in my life."

"No, not that. Do you really not blame yourself for your parents' deaths? Do you really understand now?"

Harry thought about it for a minute. Then he said, "Yeah. I mean, the way I feel about James made me finally understand. They sacrificed themselves so I could live and that is the way they would have wanted it. I would give up my life in a second if it meant James could live. I'm still having trouble accepting that I am not responsible for Sirius's death, or Remus's, or Fred's. With time, I will make peace with their deaths as well. And hopefully it won't take nearly eighteen years like it has taken with my parents. But as for my parents, I do finally understand and I know that blaming myself or feeling guilty isn't what they would want either. They didn't allow me to live so that I could blame myself."

Ginny brought her other arm around him and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm glad at least some of the guilt is gone. And James and I will help you get rid of the rest in time. I promise." She looked back at the graves of Lily and James and said, "I love your son so much, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. And I will make sure he is happy. James and I will try to fill the void you have left. There will always be a hole in his heart but hopefully it can be full of love."

Harry jumped slightly as a hand was placed on his back, interrupting their private moment. Turning, he saw Ron had come up behind them.

"Hey, mate. There are three guys sneaking around behind the church. I didn't get close enough to see if they were Death Eaters or just muggles up to something. But I think we should get out of here." Nodding in agreement, Harry and Ginny quickly followed Ron towards a mausoleum set near the back of the cemetery. As soon as they were behind it, they spun on the spot and apparated back to the outside of the Burrow's protection, hurrying inside to the safety of the house.


	29. Chapter 28: Stags and Hens

**A/N: So, one of my reviewers, Gwenlynn, pointed out that I would need a new title if this story kept going. Alas, this is not one of those never-ending stories, as much as I like those kinds (just look at some of my favorites!). If I have figured right, there are four more chapters coming, including this one, all in August, so technically still in the same year since the story started September 1. But no worries, I have already been playing around with a few ideas for sequels... if anyone would be interested, let me know!**

**And now, read on! And review!**

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**Chapter 28**

**Stags and Hens**

**August**

The next few weeks were uneventful. Harry, Ginny, and Ron remained close to the Burrow, still unsure of what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. Hermione still stopped by every morning before work and many nights, although Ron had seemed to come to terms with her absence.

Harry's birthday came and went. Mrs. Weasley hosted a small celebration but Harry had insisted that only a few close friends be invited, as the wedding was just over two weeks away and Mrs. Weasley was driving herself crazy getting the house ready. Every Weasley had been roped into helping and it had gotten so bad that even Fleur had apologized to the group, saying that if the preparations for her wedding had been even half this bad, she didn't understand how none of them had killed her in the weeks leading up to their nuptials.

This was made even more hectic with three babies underfoot. Freddie was now six months old and crawling. He seemed to have inherited his father's mischievous ways and was always getting into whatever wedding supplies had accidently been left on the floor. Victoire, meanwhile, was four and a half months old and teething, making her cranky and demanding. And as if these two were not enough, James, now three months old, was colicky and could rarely be soothed. Day and night, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would take turns walking the house with him, trying to quiet the troubled infant.

Thus, it was with great hesitation that, a week before the wedding and a few days before Ginny's eighteenth birthday, all three sets of new parents prepared to leave their babies in the care of their grandparents, knowing full well the trouble each child could cause on their own and not even beginning to fathom why Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were willingly offering to watch all three, together. Molly and Arthur, however, were fully aware of what they were getting into. After all, they had raised seven children!

The reason they were taking on the task was to enable all six parents to enjoy a night out at Harry's stag and Ginny's hen night. The boys were starting the Leaky Cauldron before moving on for a night full of shenanigans, finally ending up back at George's flat above the shop while the girls were heading to Hogsmeade and the Three Broomsticks for their festivities.

"Do you think he'll be alright? I could just skip the party. I hate to make my parents watch him when he is like this." Ginny fretted as the groups were preparing to leave.

"Gin, he'll be fine. Freddie and Victoire should sleep most the time and James has been getting better so he shouldn't be too bad, especially when it will just be him up. Your parents wouldn't have offered if they could handle it," Harry reassured, trying to inject more calm into his voice than he felt. He, too, was hesitant to leave James when he was so easily upset and Harry couldn't shake the feeling that something could happen to his son, a feeling which had only grown in the weeks since they beat the threat at the Hogwarts Express. However, he knew that he and Ginny needed this night. Ron and Hermione would never let them skip it. "Plus, we are kind of the guests of honor tonight. You can't very well skip!" He added with a smirk.

"Ron and Hermione would kill us!" The best man and maid of honor had thrown themselves into planning tonight with more gusto than either the bride and groom could have ever imagined. Harry suspected they were excited by the first chance to really let go since the war had ended. While most of the Wizarding World was celebrating Voldemort's downfall, their group had been mourning all those lost in the battles it took to win. Then, they had headed back to school for a year that was just as stressful as those that came before, albeit for different reasons. Now, though, there was a reason to celebrate and nothing to rain down on their night.

"Come on, guys!" Ron called impatiently from the front gate. "It's time to party!" Off to the side, Harry could tell Bill, Fleur, George, and Angelina were also hesitant to leave but at Ron's call, all six began walking towards the edge of the protective boundaries. Harry and Ginny knew they needed to relax and enjoy tonight. Kingsley had even arranged for a few aurors to tail each of the two groups to ensure nothing happened while they were celebrating, fully believing the war heroes had earned a night of fun. Between him, Ron, and the Weasleys, Harry really had no excuse not to enjoy himself. Thus, as soon as they reached the boundary, Harry gave Ginny one last hug before separating and apparating off to the Leaky Cauldron, catching a last glimpse of his fiancée as she spun on the spot, heading to Hogsmeade.

By time he walked in the door of the Leaky, Ron had already commandeered a large table in the corner of the busy pub. As soon as Harry sat down, Tom came bustling over with a tray of firewhiskey. Once everyone had a glass, Ron raised his and said, "To Harry, who for some reason wants to marry my sister, and who has been the best mate a guy could ask for!" Ron then threw back his glass, emptying it in one gulp. The other Weasley brothers, along with Neville, followed suit and soon, Tom was coming back with more firewhiskey to go around.

"So," George said, "how shall we celebrate Harry's last few nights of freedom, before he is tied to the hip of our dear sister?"

"Well, my dear brother," Ron answered, "we are going to get piss-assed drunk! Because Harry here is about to become at the beck and call of Ginny, a job for which I do not envy him as she is crazy but at which he must excel, lest he meet the ire of her elder brothers!" Laughing, he added, "I may have gotten over my best mate and my little sister snogging because I know you both make each other happy but if either of you hurts the other, I will thoroughly enjoy the retaliation!" Ron ended his little speech with an evil glint in his eyes.

Harry, however, just laughed and downed his second firewhiskey, raising his glass for a refill. "Just wait until it's my turn. You and Hermione's wedding is going to be fun!"

"Well, I for one am excited for a night away from a screaming infant!" George exclaimed, following Harry's example and downing his own glass.

"Well said!" Bill said as Harry raised his third glass in agreement. As time wore on, they boys quickly found themselves falling right into Ron's plan for the night.

Meanwhile, in Hogsmeade, the girls (Ginny, Hermione, Luna, Fleur, Angelina, and Audrey) were already on their fourth round of mixed drinks and Hermione, who it turned out did not hold her liquor well, was becoming very entertaining. Not long after finishing her third drink, she had climbed up on the table and begun singing and dancing along to the wireless. This had caused Ginny and Luna to devolve into a fit of giggles from which they never really recovered. Fleur and Audrey had taken to trying to convince Hermione to come back down but were not having much success.

"_AND STIR THAT CAULDRON OF LOVE, BRING ME HOME TO YOUUUUUUUUUU!"_

"Great voice, Hermione!" Ginny managed to squeeze out between a fit of giggles.

"I can't wait to show Ron my memory of this!" Luna added between laughs.

"OH! That'll be great! Harry would love this too!" Ginny squealed.

"Hey! What happens at hen night, stays at hen night!" Angelina insisted. "Otherwise, I would so tell Harry all about that piece of meat at the bar who is checking you out!"

"What guy?" Ginny yelled, whipping her head around. In the background, Fleur and Audrey were still trying to get Hermione to sit back down but Ginny was too busy scanning the bar to notice.

"That guy, right there on the corner!" Angelina said, indicating with her eyes.

"Ooooh, he's cute!" Luna said, turning to look. A well-built man sat at the corner of the bar facing them. Seeing their stares, he smiled and raised his glass. Then, he crooked his finger, indicating they should join him.

"I say we invite him over," Angelina said. "Technically, everyone here but Fleur is still free," she added with a wink. Ginny blushed all the way up to the tips of her red hair, creating quite the sight. Breaking down, Angelina and Luna burst out laughing. "Just kidding. After all, no guy would dare go after you Ginny. Imagine! Pissing off a jealous Harry Potter, the man who defeated the most dark wizard of our time! The guy would be blasted from here to next year!"

"Darn right!" Ginny said, finally returning to a normal skin tone. "No one dare try anything with me for fear of upsetting the Savior and his awesome powers! And no one dare try anything with Harry for fear of my infamous Bat-Boogey Hex!"

"And in one week, everyone will know you two officially belong together!" Hermione said, finally sitting back down, although clearly still drunk, as evidenced by the drink she knocked over as she clumsily sat down. Lifting the now-empty glass, seemingly oblivious to its lack of liquid, she said, "To Harry and Ginny. My two best friends! To marriage, family, and sex!" At the end of her toast, Hermione broke down laughing.

"'Oo 'ave a dirty mind when 'oo drink 'Ermione," Fleur said, smiling. Of all the party, she was the only one still sober enough to think straight. Ginny wondered absently whether that was because she was French or because she was part Veela. The thought didn't get very far though until it became tangled up in her alcohol-induced haze.

Hours later, as the girls made their way back to the Burrow, the boys found themselves stumbling up the stairs to George's flat.

"Umph." Ron tripped over Charlie, causing both boys to go down. Hauling them up, Bill and Percy laughed at their brothers.

"You two are plastered," Percy said. Percy, straight-laced as he was, had stopped after three glasses of firewhiskey and thus hadn't had a drink in several hours. Everyone else, however, had fulfilled Ron's goal of getting wasted with gusto.

"Yup!" Ron agreed, grinning like a madman. Reaching the door, George fumbled with his wand before Percy pulled out his, removing the wards and unlocking the door.

"'Thanks, Perce!"

"Good think one of us can still open a door," Percy responded as they filed into the room.

Throwing himself on the couch, Harry moaned. "I'm gonna have a headache in the morning!"

"You and me both," Bill agreed. "And Victoire has this high pitched scream when she is teething." Bill grabbed his ears. "My head already hurts thinking about tomorrow."

"Ugh. Don't mention that! I'm trying to block out James's cries. I have been hearing them, night and day, for weeks. I even hear it in my sleep." Harry leaned back and closed his eyes. "What little I get. I thought babies were supposed to start sleeping longer as they got older."

"I think that is a joke every generation plays on the new one!" George piped in.

"That is why Hermione and I are waiting a _very_ long time before we have kids!" Ron slurred.

"Aw, don't be so sure, little brother!" Bill said. "I wouldn't trade Vic for all the sleep in the world."

"And I love James. Love him so much," Harry said sleepily. "But that doesn't mean that I am not going to fully enjoy the alcohol-induced deep sleep that I am going to get tonight. The blissful sleep of someone too drunk to care, in a room without the screaming cries of an upset infant…" As Harry's voice trailed off, his breathing became regular and the boys could tell he had drifted to sleep. Curling up in whatever seat they were currently in, everyone else quickly joined him.

_ Harry found himself once again standing in the corner of the dark, dank dungeon. The hair on the back of his neck stood and his heart beat loudly in his chest as Harry took in his surroundings, at once both knowing this room intimately after months of dreaming about it and simultaneously knowing this time was different, that something was different. _

_ The smell of blood and sweat was still in the air. The room was still lit only by a strange green glow coming from the walls. To his side, he still heard the sound of dripping water. And across the room, there was still a woman crouched in the corner, shrouded in shadow. And there was still a sense of gloom in the room._

_ But Harry sensed that this time was different. This time, his entire body seemed frozen in place by a sense of urgency and danger. This time, the gloom and dread was overwhelming. Somehow, Harry knew that this moment he had been dreaming about for months now was finally happening. The threat had finally arrived. The Death Eaters had made their move._

_ Harry turned as he heard the hinges on the door begin to creak. Slowly, painfully slowly, the door opened and the man Harry did not recognize entered, a man Harry now realized was Yaxely. He had a large scar on the side of his face, making his features appear different in the dark. As Harry looked closely, he saw some of the familiar features on the man, recognizing the look of disgust on his face, mimicking the look he had had when Harry had infiltrated the ministry almost two years ago._

_ "What a waste of a pureblood," Yaxely waxed. "A traitor. No better than a mudblood. You and your family have become a disgrace to your name. But now, now you will suffer for your stupidity. And now, now I will have my revenge. The boy will suffer like you. Such a small boy, so easy to torture. And the so-called Savior will be unable to save either of you. Revenge will be sweet." Yaxely smirked, his face distorted with the expression. Harry felt as if someone had settled a dark weight on his soul as he took in Yaxely's words, knowing with a terrible certainty what they likely meant. In the corner, the woman struggled against invisible bonds, trying frantically to get free. Cackling, Yaxely just watched her struggle and then slowly backed out of the room, shutting the door behind him._

_ The woman in the corner stopped struggling and looked up at Harry, who jerked in recognition. Her eyes were filled with desperation. "Save him, Harry. You have to save him." Her voice cracked with emotion as she repeated her mantra, over and over again._

Her voice was still resonating in Harry's head as he woke up screaming, finally knowing who the woman in the dream was.


	30. Chapter 29: The Woman In the Dream

**A/N: I know! I'm horrible! I left you hanging for more than two weeks on a cliff hanger! All I can say is when they tell you grad school is a lot of work, they aren't kidding! These two weeks have been insane and it's not getting any better, considering my doctoral qualifying exam is in less than a month. So, hey, I'm just happy I got this put together at all :). And I have even managed a few hundred words of the next chapter so hopefully I can get that one up faster!**

**Let me know what you think! I really like this chapter.**

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**Chapter 29**

**The Woman In the Dream**

**August**

As Harry's scream died in his throat, he dropped his head into his hands. It felt like a herd of hippogriffs were stampeding on his brain. Groaning, Harry rolled off the coach, desperate to make it stop, desperate to be able to think. He needed to be able to concentrate. He finally knew who the woman in the dream was and it had him panicked.

Breathing slowly to calm a wave of nausea that rolled over him with the motion, Harry sat up on the floor. Burrowing his fingers into his ears so that he couldn't hear his own voice, he called, "Kreacher!"

"Bloody Hell!" Ron yelled as the loud crack that indicated the elf's presence jerked him out of his dreams. He buried his face in his pillow, blocking out the bright room. "Ugh. My head hurts!"

"Shut up, Ron!" Bill whispered, also using his pillow to block out the room.

"Yeah, your voice is grating!" Neville agreed from his spot on the floor. Around the room, all the boys who had been awoken by the loud crack were slowly coming to grips with the morning, desperately trying to shut out the bright lights and any noise.

"Everybody, shut it!" Harry said, urgently, causing the room to go silent. "Kreacher?"

"Master called for Kreacher?"

"Kreacher, I need a cure for a hangover. Fast. It's very important. I need enough for all of us, plus all the girls. Right now."

"Kreacher knows just the potion, Master Harry. He will go get some now."

"Thank you, Kreacher." With that, the house-elf apparated away with another loud crack that sent Harry's head reeling. He tried to block it out, knowing that he had faced worse headaches from his scar at the height of Voldemort's power. Right now, though, knowing it had been worse wasn't helping much.

"What's going on, Harry?" Ron asked, his voice still muffled by his pillow.

"Trouble. I think we have trouble. I just need to be able to think straight." Harry looked up at Ron, who had finally turned his head to look at Harry. "I knew last year had gone too smoothly. I mean, a single attack, no big, end-of-year insanity. It was too easy, even with Voldemort gone."

"I know what you mean, mate. But what is going on? Who's in trouble? Is it Ginny? Hermione?" Ron asked quickly.

Before Harry had a chance to answer, Kreacher apparated back into the room.

"Kreacher has the potions, Master Harry."

"Thanks, Kreacher. Pass them around and then go give some to the girls."

"Yes, sir," Kreacher said, handing around vials of a dark green liquid. Harry took his and downed it in a single gulp. It felt like he was drinking a thick goo, even though the potion appeared silky smooth. It landed hard in his stomach. Then, after a few seconds, it felt like fireworks going off in his stomach. The sensation expanded outward and upward, slowly moving up his body and settling in his head, where, if Harry closed his eyes, he could actually see the colors exploding on his eyelids. A minute later, they subsided and Harry found his head clear. However, the ability to think only made his panic that much more acute and he struggled to keep it under control.

Once Harry saw everyone else look up, he said, "Something is wrong. I need you guys to go back to the Burrow and alert the girls and your parents that there is a problem. And protect them. I don't know if they are in danger but I don't want to take any chances." Looking over at his best friend, he added, "Ron, I need you to come with me. We need to check something." Harry deliberately kept his voice vague, not giving any details. He didn't want to worry everyone if it turned out to be nothing. After all, he didn't fully understand being a praesagium. But he had a sinking suspicion that he wasn't wrong.

Seeing the look on Harry's face, no one questioned him and soon, it was just Harry and Ron left. Holding out his arm, he said, "Side-along with me." Looking curiously at the green-eyed man, Ron nonetheless grasped his friend's arm firmly and spun on the spot with Harry.

When they reached their destination, Ron looked around. "What are we doing here?"

Harry ignored him, instead pulling out his wand. "Homenum Revelio." Nothing happened and Harry's shoulders sagged. He quickly put his wand back in his pocket and said, "Just help me search for any clues about where they went." Together, Harry and Ron searched room by room, looking for any sign that may help. The most ominous sign was found in the kitchen, where dinner was still laid out, half-eaten food still on the table.

"What happened to them?" Ron asked tentatively.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "Nothing good. Come on. Let's get back and we can figure everything out." Together, they apparated back to the Burrow's boundaries and quickly walked up to the house.

As soon as they entered the house, Harry found himself engulfed by Ginny. "Thank Merlin! When Bill showed up saying there was trouble and you weren't with him, I was panicked." Looking menacingly at her eldest brother, she added, "And he wouldn't tell me _anything_!"

Holding his fiancée to his chest, reassured by her presence, Harry said, "That's because I didn't really tell them anything." Tipping her chin up so he could see her eyes, he asked, "Have you checked on James? Is he alright?"

"Yeah. I checked on him right after Kreacher gave us the potion. Thanks for that by the way." Looking back into the green eyes above her, she added quietly, "Harry, what's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, stealing himself to finally say it out loud, Harry said, "It's Teddy. He and Andromeda are missing." As Ginny processed the information, he looked over at Ron and Hermione and said, "Andromeda is the woman I have been dreaming about. The woman in the dungeon." Pushing his hand through his hair, his eyes darted around the room, taking in Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, all the Weasley boys, Neville, and all the girls who had been celebrating with Ginny last night. "I was being warned about the danger for months. But I never could make sense of it. I couldn't stop it. Lupin left me to protect the most precious thing to him and I've gone and caused Teddy to be in danger. And Andromeda." His voice got quiet, barely loud enough for Ginny to hear as he added, " She looked so small in my dream."

"Harry," said Hermione, "if you've been dreaming about it for months, how do you know it has actually happened now?"

"I don't know. But I do. Last night, I had the dream again and I finally realized what it meant. And I somehow knew that I realized what it meant because it was so strong. The feeling was so strong. It was no longer a warning. I was seeing the danger as it happened." Looking back at his bushy haired friend, he said, "Ron and I just went to check on their house. Dinner was still on the table and there wasn't a soul there."

"We have to rescue them!" Ginny announced. "Do you know where they are being held? Or by whom?"

"It was Yaxley. But as for where, I have only ever seen the inside of the room. I think I know who might know, though." Looking over to Ron, he said, "Malfoy." In truth, Harry had been considering going to Malfoy to see what he might know about the location in his dreams for nearly a month but he was unsure how Ron would react. And clearly, his worries weren't wrong.

"That git! Why would he know?" Ron exploded.

"He was a part of the Death Eaters inner circle. His father was close to Yaxley. He is the only one I can think of who might know Yaxley's hideouts." Harry tried to reason.

"It makes sense, Harry," Hermione said. "I'm glad you are willing to look past what has gone on between you and Malfoy."

"Yeah, well, he did warn us about Hogsmeade. And he really did seem remorseful. I still think he is a git," Harry said, looking at Ron, "but to save Teddy, I might just trust him a little."

"Well, I don't trust him," Ron argued. "He's an evil git!"

"Mature argument, Ronald," Hermione said. "Frankly, I don't care where the information comes from, as long as it helps."

"But you can't trust him. He's more likely to lie than tell you where to find them. For all you know, he's in on the scheme."

"I don't think so, Ron." Harry insisted. "I know he's an evil git. But I think he might be a remorseful, evil git. And right now, he's the only lead we've got." At this, Ron simply shrugged his shoulders in defeat, his face still clearly saying he disagreed. Harry, though, took this as acceptance. "Right. So, yeah, Malfoy. Hopefully he can tell us where the room in my dream is at."

"Good," said Ginny, "then let's go. He'd be at Malfoy Manor."

"No!" Harry said vehemently. "You are not coming Ginny." Seeing that she was about to argue, he put his hand over her mouth and continued. "We can't both go, Ginny. We can't. We have to think about James. He needs at least one of us. If something happens – If I don't –" Harry paused, trying to pull his thoughts together. Over the last year, and especially since James's birth, Harry had actually begun to believe he might have a future. For so many years, he could never see anything past Voldemort but now he saw himself growing old with Ginny. And the thought that he still faced an unknown future, fraught with danger, was something he was having trouble putting voice to. Finally, he just said, "I don't want James to be left alone, like Teddy and me. One of us has to stay with him. I want him to have one of us, no matter what."

Ginny's eyes blazed and he could tell she was frustrated by his stance but when Harry moved his hand, she didn't argue. Instead, she just said, "Fine. But you better come back to me, Harry James Potter." Pulling his head down to kiss him, she added, "And you better have your godson with you."

Nodding, Harry stepped away to begin issuing directions. He knew they needed to get moving. "Neville, Luna, I need you guys to go to the ministry and warn Kingsley. Tell him what is going on. There were supposed to be aurors at the Tonks house but we didn't see any evidence of them so he needs to investigate."

"We'll take care of it," Neville said, looking Harry in the eye before turning and heading to the fireplace.

"Good luck, Harry," Luna added before following. In a flash of green flames, they were gone.

"Right. Ron, Hermione, I need you two to come with me. I think we have one more battle."

"Wouldn't be anywhere else, mate."

Smiling at Ron, comforted by the fact that even a year on the run and all they had gone through could not separate the bond he shared with Ron and Hermione. Then, looking at everyone else in the room, Harry added his last requests. "Percy, Charlie, can you go watch over the Dursleys? Don't let them see you – well, actually, let Dudley know you are there. He should be home for the summer holidays. Tell him what's going on. And hopefully there are aurors there too. Just make sure nothing happens." When his two future brother-in-laws nodded, Harry then turned to the remaining Weasleys. "And can you guys stay here? Protect Ginny and James. I don't think anyone else is in danger but I don't want to take any chances. Bill, George, I would also suggest keeping Victoire and Freddie here. I think it would be easier to keep everyone safe if you are all together. Plus, the Burrow is well protected, more so than Shell Cottage or your flat in Diagon Alley."

"Of course, Harry. Nothing will happen here. We'll make sure of it," George told him. Beside him, Bill nodded in agreement.

"We will make sure the Burrow is well protected," Mr. Weasley assured him. "Now, go. Save Teddy."

"Thanks." Turning back to Ginny, Harry kissed her and then whispered, "Be safe. Keep James safe."

"You stay safe, too, Harry." And with that, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked out of the kitchen and down the walk. As soon as they passed through the Burrow's boundaries, they grasp arms and apparated away.

The reappeared just outside the gates of Malfoy Manor. The estate had an air of disrepair, as if Narcissa had failed to keep it up to standards with Lucius in Azkaban, and, unlike before, there were no peacocks in the yard. Harry looked over at Hermione and saw her subconsciously rubbing her left forearm where Bellatrix had carved "Mudblood" into her skin at their last visit.

"Might as well go in," Harry said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. His memories of this place were full of Hermione's screams, Dobby's death, and the awful images of carnage he had seen through Voldemort's eyes after they had escaped.

The trio approached the gate but before they could touch it, a shrunken head appeared out of the air and said, "State your business."

"Er," Harry said hesitantly, "We need to see Draco Malfoy."

"You may enter," the head said as the gates swung open. The three friends walked up the path towards the house slowly, keeping an eye out for any potential traps but they reached the porch unharmed. Before they could knock on the door, it opened, revealing the young Malfoy.

"Potter," Draco said hesitantly. "What are you doing here?"

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who both nodded, although Ron was slower to do so. Then, he turned back to Draco. "We need your help, Malfoy."

"And what exactly am I supposed to do for you? What could you need from me?" Draco asked, clearly guarded, jaded by the many years of animosity between the three Gryffindors and himself.

"I need you to help me find a place." Harry looked Draco directly in the eye. "My godson has been kidnapped. Along with your aunt, Andromeda Tonks."

"How am I supposed to know where they are? I wasn't involved." Draco said defensively.

"I know that. I'm not accusing you. It's just –" Harry struggled with how to explain what was going on, not sure if he wanted to reveal that he was a praesagium to Malfoy. His trust in the Slytherin was very fragile. "You see, I've seen the place where they are being held. I know Yaxley has them. They are somewhere with a dungeon. That's where Andromeda is being held." He went on to describe the dungeon he had seen while not exposing just how he had seen the place. When he finished, Malfoy looked thoughtful for a minute.

Finally, he said, "I think I might know the place. Especially if you are sure Yaxley is in charge. I've only been there once but it fits your description. Yaxley's family once lived in this manor, a few centuries ago. It's in ruins now. But there is still a section of the old building that is still intact. And it includes the dungeons. I played there once when I was little, while my father was meeting Yaxley." Malfoy looked at Harry intently. "I would bet everything that that is where he has them."

"Can you take us there?" Harry was starting to feel a sense of dread as the feeling of danger approached. He was frantic to rescue them, sure that time was of the essence. "You can side-along us there and then leave."

"No."

"Bloody hell, Malfoy," Ron spat. He had been quietly fuming in the background, still wary of trusting the Slytherin. "I thought you were sorry. I thought you were trying to change. You're just as big a git as ever. Won't even help save your own family."

"Shut it, Weasley," Malfoy said quietly. Looking back at Harry, he continued. "If you would let me finish, I won't take you there and leave. I'm staying to help. I know that place and I know those Death Eaters." Draco rubbed his forearm much like Hermione had been earlier, clearly unaware of the action. "You are going to need help."

Harry looked at Malfoy long and hard. Draco met his gaze, determined. Finally seeing what he wanted, Harry said, "Fine. But I'm warning you, Malfoy, any trouble and I will personally see you spend the rest of your life in Azkaban."

"Understood."

"Good. Then let's go." Draco stepped out onto the porch and held out his arms. Harry and Ron each took one, with Hermione holding onto Ron's other arm. Then, they turned on the spot, vanishing into thin air.


	31. Chapter 30: The Manor in Ruins

**Chapter 30**

**The Manor in Ruins**

**August**

When the blackness subsided, they found themselves on the edge of a small wood. The sky was overcast with stormy clouds, making it feel like twilight rather than early morning. A few hundred yards away, the ruins of an old manor house stood erect. Segments of wall remained intact while others had crumbled down to nothing. Here and there a small tree or bush appeared amongst the dilapidated building. However, on the far side, a small section stood apart and, while looking run down, otherwise seemed untouched.

"That's where he probably has them," said Draco, indicating the section that remained intact. "It used to be the east wing."

"What's it like inside?" Harry asked.

"The main floor has a few large rooms and upstairs, there are several rooms. I assume they used to be bedrooms. They were empty when we played there. But what you really want is downstairs. The east wing houses several dank old dungeon rooms. From what you described, that's where Yaxely is keeping Andromeda. And I would assume the kid is in one of the other ones."

"Right," said Harry, turning to look back at the ruins and assessing their options. "Draco, if you are don't want to help any further, I need to know now." Harry turned his head, looking Malfoy directly in the eyes, needing to see his decision.

Draco looked back for a few seconds before Harry saw a fierce look in his eyes. "No, I said I would help. I'm staying."

Harry just nodded. "Ideally, we could get in and out without being seen. Draco, where are the stairs to the dungeons?"

"It actually might work. There are stairs just to the left of the back entrance, which is just over there. Good chance no one will see us." Malfoy indicated the section of the building off to their right.

"And I'm Merlin's left ear!" Ron exclaimed quietly. "Ideally? I don't care how close the stairs are. Harry, when has everything gone ideally? Remember? We plan and scheme and then everything goes to bloody hell. You're the one who told me that."

"Ronald!" Hermione said sternly. "Harry, I'm sure everything will work out. We've faced worse. Teddy will be fine."

"I didn't mean it like that Hermione!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have said it, Ronald!"

"Right." Harry generally ignored Ron and Hermione's little bickering. Plus, he needed to focus. "I say we stick together as long as possible. We'll go in, sneak downstairs, and hopefully they are both there." Harry looked around and received three nods in return. "Good. Then let's go."

They crept along the edge of the woods, staying out of sight. Once they were as close as they could get without leaving the cover of the trees, they cast Disillusionment Charms over themselves. Then, Harry in the lead, they crept out and quickly moved across the open field towards the house. At his side, Harry could just make out the outlines of the other three as they blended in with their surroundings.

Reaching the door, Harry pulled up and reached out, stopping Ron, Hermione, and Draco with a quick touch. Keeping his voice barely at a whisper, he leaned over to Malfoy and said, "You go first. You know the layout. In and straight down the stairs."

"Yeah," Malfoy answered quietly. He then slipped past Harry and slowly opened the door. The trio silently entered behind the blond. Down the hall, they could hear voices but they were muffled by the distance and closed doors. Moving quickly, Draco veered to his left and carefully opened a small door. Behind it, stone steps lead down into darkness.

"Lumos," Harry whispered. Moving in front of Malfoy, he began descending the stairs, holding his wand aloft in front of him. As he reached the bottom, the ground leveled out, opening into a narrow hallway. One each side, two thick wooden doors stood out against the gray stone walls, along with a fifth door at the end of the hall.

"Each take a door," Harry whispered. They spread out, each approaching one of the four side doors. Ron and Hermione took the two closest to the stairs while Harry and Draco moved down the hall to the far doors.

Hermione reached out and tried the door. "Locked." She pulled out her wand and flicked her wrist carefully. Then she reached out and tried the door again. The handle turned. She stopped quickly before the door opened. Turning to face the others, she whispered, "Alohomora works."

"Good," Harry said. "Then on three, unlock and enter." Turning back to the door, he took a deep breath. "One… two… three."

_Alohomora_, Harry thought, flicking his wand. He then rapidly reached out and opened the door, stepping into the room but blocking the door with his body. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he began to make out shapes. The room was narrow but deep. In the corner nearest the door, there was a small metal tray with a small, empty glass and a few small pieces of bread, some of which looked wet. The floor around the tray was covered in breadcrumbs and had a few puddles of water. Farther down the wall, there was a thin mattress lying at an odd angle near the wall.

But what made Harry's heart stop was the small figure curled up in the back corner. As Harry moved closer, he could see a thin blanket wrapped around the small boy, who appeared to be asleep, leaning back against the cold stone wall. It looked like he had crawled as far away from the door before curling up. Harry thought he might have tried pulling the mattress but didn't have the coordination to move it, resulting in its odd angle.

Harry walked quietly to the back corner and crouched down. Reaching out, he gently touched the small boy. "Teddy?" Harry said softly. "Teddy, wake up, buddy." Teddy fidgeted slightly, pulling the blanket up farther. Harry tried again. "Teddy, buddy. I need you to wake up."

Teddy slowly opened his eyes. As he took in his surroundings, his eyes filled with terror. "No! No! No! Mean! You mean! No!" Teddy yelled in a panic as he quickly pulled the dirty blanket up over his head, hiding himself from view.

At his yells, Harry heard movement behind him and whipped around, prepared to fight off potential dangers. He relaxed when he saw it was just Ron and Hermione who had come running at the sound. Holding up his hand, he silently told them to stay back. Harry needed to calm Teddy and didn't want to overwhelm him. He heard Hermione cast a quick Muffliato charm on the room but otherwise, they stayed back. He reached out gently again and slowly rubbed Teddy's hair, which was bright red and just visible, peeking out of the blanket. "No! No!" Teddy's screams were barely decipherable through his tears.

"Teddy. It's okay. Everything's okay now." Harry said calmly while stroking his godson. "Teddy, its Harry. You're safe now. Everything's alright. Come on, Teddy, I need you to stop crying and look at me. It's just me, Teddy. Just Harry."

Slowly, Teddy began to calm down and his cries subsided. After a minute of Harry's soothing words, Teddy pulled the blanket down just past his eyes, peeking over the top. Seeing his godfather, Teddy dropped the blanket and launched himself at the older man. "'Arry!" His hand's clasped themselves tightly behind Harry's neck, threatening to strangle him. Harry carefully reached up and detached his godson's arms.

"It's okay, Teddy. Calm down." Harry looked right into his godson's eyes, which had turned emerald green as soon as he spotted Harry. "You're safe now but I need you to be brave. Can you be brave for me?"

Teddy nodded, his eyes still shining with tears. In a quiet voice, he asked, "Where gramma?"

Harry hugged Teddy closely. "I don't know, Teddy. But I'm going to find her." Harry stood up, bringing Teddy with him. The toddler buried his head in Harry's shoulder. He walked over to the door. "Anything?" he asked his friends.

"The other three rooms were empty. I was about to check the end room when I heard Teddy's yells." Ron said while Hermione reached over to stoke Teddy's back and Draco stood silently in the background.

"Do the other three rooms look like this one?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Same dimensions. But no mattress or anything in them." Hermione answered.

"Then these aren't the rooms from my dream. We need to check the end room."

"You stay back with Teddy." Ron said. "We'll check the room." Harry stepped away from the room and Draco stood behind him, watching the stairs while Hermione and Ron approached the last room, unlocking it and silently throwing the door open. They entered and a few seconds later, came back out.

"Empty," Ron said.

Harry walked forward to see inside. It felt like déjà vu. Inside, it was the room he had been seeing for months. Even the smell was the same. For a moment, Harry was back in the nightmare that had been plaguing him, the one he now knew had come to pass. "This is the right room," Harry said quietly.

Holding Teddy close, keeping the small boy's head buried in his shoulder, Harry ventured further inside. As he approached the corner where he had seen Andromeda, he found he was holding his breath. He released it slowly and worked to regulate his breathing, searching the space for anything that could help him. His heart missed a beat when he saw the blood. The corner was covered with patches of blood, in differing states of dryness. Some areas were no more than stains while others appeared fresh, no more than a few hours old.

Harry felt a hand on his back and turned his head, seeing that Hermione had approached him. "Maybe it's not hers," she suggested but Harry heard the desperation in her voice.

"Maybe," Harry said doubtfully. Looking back at the corner, he added, "We need to find her."

Together, they walk back out into the hall, where Ron and Draco were waiting. Aware that they were lucky to have not been discovered, Harry started issuing orders. "We need to get moving. And we need to find Andromeda. But we also need to get Teddy out of here." He looked right at Ron and Hermione. "Remus trusted me." Harry struggled to keep the pleading tone out of his voice. He needed to be in control and he couldn't let himself think about how he had failed the man who had meant so much to him.

Mentally shaking himself, he refocused. He rapidly considered his options. "Right. Okay, Ron, Hermione, I want you two to take Teddy and get out of here. Get him back to the Burrow. Ron, have your mum check him out, make sure he really is fine. Keep him safe. I don't know what will happen if they realize he's gone before we get them. Keep him, Ginny, and James safe."

"I don't think that's such a good idea. I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone with this git," Ron said, indicating Malfoy.

"Nonsense," Hermione said in her instructive tone. "Malfoy knows the layout. He'll be the most helpful."

"And I may trust him with my life but I don't trust him with Teddy's," Harry added. "I believe he is remorseful and I will put my own life on the line but not Teddy's and not your families', Ron."

"Nice, Potter," Malfoy said, finally speaking up. "Good to know how much you trust me."

"Can you blame me, Malfoy?"

"Not really. Still, didn't really need to hear it."

"Well, get over it." Looking back at Ron, Harry said, "There's no one I would trust to keep Teddy safe more than you and Hermione. Just do this for me."

"Fine," Ron acquiesced. "But I don't like it. Nothing good ever happens when the three of us separate."

Giving Ron an exasperated look, Harry pointed out, "Nothing good ever happens when we are together either."

"Fair point."

"We should get moving. You guys still need to find Andromeda," Hermione said.

"Right. Teddy," Harry tried to pull his godson away from his neck. "Teddy, buddy? I need you to go with Hermione." Harry tried to break the small boy's grip but he tightened it every time Harry moved to shift him. "Hermione, help me." Hermione began prying Teddy's hands apart. "Come on Teddy. I have to go find your grandmum. I need you to let go."

Finally, Hermione managed to break Teddy's grip on his neck and Harry quickly moved him away from his body. Hermione stepped in and grabbed the boy but the minute Harry's hands let go of Teddy's waist, his head snapped around to stare at Harry. Time seemed to stand still as Harry realized what is coming but before he could rush Hermione and Ron away or cast another Muffliato charm, Teddy opened his mouth and began to scream.

Above, they heard loud footsteps approaching the basement stairs. "Bloody hell. Keep your damn mouth shut, stupid midget. I don't know why we bothered keeping you alive. Bloody annoying." A large man whom Harry didn't recognize appeared at the top of the stairs and his eyes widened upon spotting the four teens. Before Harry could so much as pull his wand, the man bellowed, "It's Potter!"

"Stupify!" Harry yelled, a second too late. His spell hit its mark and the bulky man collapsed on the stairs but the damage had already been done. "Damn brute was too fast. C'mon Hermione. You guys need to go!" Through the door, Harry could now hear more yelling and running. They ran up the stairs, Harry in front and Draco bringing up the rear. As soon as Harry stepped through the door, he threw his body to the side as a curse shattered the rock beside him. "Go!" Harry screamed as he shot a jinx at his attacker. Behind him, he heard Hermione and Ron shooting curses as they backed away towards the door they had come in through.

"Expelliarmus! Stupify! Impedimenta!" Harry shot curse after curse down the hall towards their attackers, desperate to keep them occupied while Hermione and Ron escaped with Teddy. As they moved farther away, he heard Draco's voice join the battle. After an agonizing few seconds, Hermione and Ron's voices disappeared and Harry knew they had successfully made it outside.

"Come on," Harry said in between his barrage of defensive spells. "We need to find Andromeda!" Malfoy nodded back and the two of them began to slowly move down the corridor, ducking as curses shattered stone on all sides.


	32. Chapter 31: Yaxley's Revenge

**A/N: I know! I know! Stop yelling! I'm a terrible person, leaving you there on a cliffhanger for weeks. Sorry! In my defense, I had the first of my doctoral qualifying exams which took significantly more studying than my master's comp exam earlier this year and then I was in Europe for a while, celebrating the completion of this latest milestone in my quest for the elusive PhD. And, no offense, but as much as I love each and every one of you, I was not about to spend my time in Europe sitting around, writing, not after spending over a thousand dollars (on a grad student's budget, no less!) on a plane ticket. But no worries. I'm finally back! It's even a nice long chapter, too. And our story is quickly coming to a head and the end is in sight...it is bittersweet. Let me know what you think!**

**Reviews! Even if it is just to berate me for my long absence. It makes me smile to get reviews. It let's me know people are still reading!**

* * *

**Chapter 31**

**Yaxley's Revenge**

**August**

The two teens moved down the hall, their movements resembling an awkward ballet as they ducked and weaved to avoid the barrage of spells coming at them, all while maintaining their own offensive. As they reached the midway point along the length of the corridor, Harry saw one of their attackers go down, hit by a silent spell from Malfoy. It was now two against one but the attacks barely abated.

Waving his hand to get Malfoy's attention, he indicated the blond should get low. As Draco ducked, Harry sent a strong reductor curse blasting down the hall. Stone blasted outward as the curse hit the wall. When the dust cleared, the remaining Death Eater was buried under a pile of rubble.

Cautiously, the two men moved down the corridor, towards their fallen attackers.

"I know this one," Malfoy said softly as they checked on the first of the two downed men. "He was part of Voldemort's outer ring. Wasn't at any important meetings and I never knew his name but I saw him around." Looking over at the other man, covered in stone and dust, he added, "But this one, I've never seen before. Not that I ever knew every single Death Eater."

"Let's just hope they're not still recruiting new members even now that Riddle's dead," Harry said. They quickly moved around the debris and farther down the hall, checking in each room as they passed each new door. Reaching the far end, they stopped outside a broad set of thick, wooden double doors.

"This is where the voices were coming from when we got here," Harry whispered. Draco nodded. Harry held up three fingers, silently counting down. At one, they both reached forward and grabbed a handle, throwing the doors open.

As they stepped in the room, a cruel voice that been echoing in Harry's head for weeks spoke. "Harry Potter. I knew you would come. Always so reliable. The Dark Lord may have misjudged you in many ways but he had that right." Inside the room, a man stood facing them, his wand pointed directly at Andromeda's heart as he held her against him as a shield. Andromeda, meanwhile appeared glassy eyed and barely reacted to the new occupants in the room.

"Yaxley," Harry spat, recognizing the man instantly. His face was distorted with a large scar along his left cheekbone, making him barely resemble the man from the ministry when the trio had broken in to steal the locket but after months of dreaming about him, Harry couldn't mistake him.

"So you remember me. I am honored. You even recognized me. A true miracle. You see what your people did to me, what I went through at the Battle." A disturbing smirk stretched across his face, pulling at his scarred skin. "But not to worry. I will make sure you know my pain." Looking over at Malfoy, his smirk grew even wider. "And young Draco. Helping Harry Potter. What would your father say?"

"Not much since he is in Azkaban."

"Ah, yes. Mighty Lucius, finally fallen from grace. And yet you, you who played such a critical role in Dumbledore's demise, managed to stay free. All because pretty-boy Potter here convinced those good-for-nothing Wizengamot that it wasn't your fault. Poor little Draco was threatened into committing his crimes and was nothing more than a misguided youth." Yaxley's words dripped with sarcasm. "Alas, you will suffer nonetheless. Along with Potter here. I can't have you going free, no consequences for your betrayal."

"It's over, Yaxley," Harry said, slowly advancing toward the man. Andromeda was limp in his arms, her eyes unable to focus, dashing Harry's hope that she would aid him in her own escape. Instead, his mind was running through a million different possibilities, discarding each one as he found it lacking. "Riddle is gone. And the ministry is on its way. You'll never get away."

"Then what is my motivation to let any of you traitors go? I should kill you now. A slow, torturous death."

"We can arrange leniency for you."

As soon as Harry suggested it, Yaxley broke down in hysterical laughter. "Leniency? You think I want leniency?" As he looked at Harry, his eyes were wide with madness. "I do not care about Azkaban. I am not frightened of it, not after the Dark Lord. He was terrifying. Your little prison is nothing in comparison. And it is not my freedom that I want! I want revenge! I want you to suffer as I have suffered!" As Yaxley raved on, red sparks flew out of his wand intermittently. What had Harry so concerned was that each time the sparks hit Andromeda, she had no reaction. Her body didn't even flinch.

Knowing they needed to free her quickly, Harry tried to catch Draco's eye. The only way this was going to work is if they approached from opposite sides and attacked together. Somehow they had to get behind him so Andromeda was not in the way. However, unlike with Ron and Hermione, Draco didn't automatically know what was going on in Harry's head. And right now, Harry seriously regretted sending away the two people who had fought beside him in every battle.

Harry slowly began to make his way to the right, hoping Malfoy got the hint. Meanwhile, he tried to keep Yaxley talking and distracted. "So, how exactly do you plan to make us suffer? I rescued Teddy. He's safe."

"You think the boy was the only way to make you suffer? I have other ways. You may have thwarted one option but that will not stop me." To prove his point, he yelled, "Crucio!" with his wand still pointed straight at Andromeda's heart. To Harry's horror, the elderly woman's body flailed with the curse but her eyes remained glassy and not a single scream escaped. Harry's urgency to rescue her instantly strengthened.

Trying to keep a calm expression, Harry desperately attempted to distract Yaxley. "And what makes you think that will make me suffer. I have no attachment to her. She is a Black. You are actually doing me a favor, getting Teddy away from her. She's too much like her sister, Bellatrix."

Yaxley threw his head back in laughter, not believing a single word Harry said. "This bitch? Like Bellatrix. Don't insult her memory. This witch married a mudblood. She couldn't be more different from Bellatrix."

Harry struggled to keep Yaxley's attention focused on him. He had finally managed to communicate his plan to Malfoy with a few looks and now the blond was slowly sneaking back around their adversary while he was watching Harry.

"Every time I look at her, I see Bellatrix. And since her husband was murdered, she has changed her tune. I was already working on a way to cut her out of my life. You have just made it easier." Harry frantically hoped he could convince Yaxley that Andromeda's well-being was of no concern to Harry.

"The famous Harry Potter, scheming to ostracize a poor, elderly, grandmother. What would people say?" Yaxley mocked.

"I don't really care what people say. If I did, I would have been done for years ago." Across the room, Draco caught Harry's eye, indicating he had a full view of Yaxley, unobscured by Andromeda. "But there is still one thing you just don't get, Yaxley."

"Enlighten me."

"No matter what you do, you will never win."

"And why not. I seem to have the upper hand right now, don't I?"

"Because when your intent is dark, you face the battle alone, no matter how many people are by your side. While I will always be fighting beside those I love." Harry quickly caught Draco's eyes before looking back at Yaxley, staring him straight in the eye. "Like right NOW!"

Harry yelled the last word. As soon as he said it, he shouted "Accio Andromeda!" while, behind Yaxley, Draco yelled, "Stupify!" As if in slow motion, Andromeda shot towards Harry while Malfoy's spell hit Yaxley square in the back and he crumbled to the floor, motionless. Harry braced himself as he caught Andromeda, who he quickly lowered to the floor, laying her down with care. Then, Harry looked back at Malfoy.

"He down?" Harry asked, indicating Yaxley. Malfoy walked over to the fallen Death Eater. He bent down and turned him over, showing none of the care Harry had displayed when handling Andromeda.

"Yeah."

"Good." Harry turned back to the elderly woman in front of him. Looking down at her, he, for what seemed like the thousandth time, once again lamented his dismal knowledge of healing spells. Given his propensity for finding himself in dangerous situations, he really should have remedied that years ago. However, knowing what he did not know did him no good at the moment. It was clear Andromeda, while still breathing, was seriously ill. "Any chance you are any good at healing?"

Malfoy, who had been binding Yaxley's arms with some rope he had found in the corner, came over. "Not many but I do know a few, along with a couple of diagnosising spells."

"Can you help?"

"I don't know. I'll try." Malfoy held his wand over Andromeda, weaving a complicated pattern as his face was tight with concentration, his lips moving silently as he used the wordless diagnosing spells. Twice, he stopped mid-spell, let out a frustrated noise, and restarted.

After what seemed like an eternity but was likely only a minute or two, Malfoy looked up. "Her heart beat is definitely weak and she has a lot of bruising. But the main problem seems to be with her mind. Problem is, those are really complicated spells. Makes sense, as the mind is a complicated place, but that doesn't help us since I don't know any spells to figure out what is wrong. And this is not an area you want to mess with without knowing what you are doing."

"We need to get her to St. Mungo's. They should be able to figure out what's wrong." Just then, they heard a throaty yell and the sound of rubble shifting in the hallway. Both boys rushed out to find one of the unconscious men had come around and was struggling to free himself from the debris. Before Harry had even finished processing the scene around him, he had his wand pointed at the man and yelled "Stupify!" The man immediately froze.

"We can't leave these guys here," Malfoy pointed out. Harry knew he was right but didn't know what to do. On the one hand, they needed to get Andromeda to a healer but on the other hand, Harry didn't quite trust Malfoy enough to leave him behind with the Death Eaters alone.

Before Harry could come up with an answer, they heard noises outside. Instantly, both boys had spun towards the door, wands out. As they waited, shoulder taunt with the tension, a tall shadow appeared in the doorway, framed in light from the open door.

As the man stepped inside and his striking red hair became visible, Harry's shoulders slumped in relief. Behind him, Hermione followed, along with several men and women in auror robes.

"Hey, mate. You okay?" Ron asked, eying Malfoy suspiciously.

"Yeah," Harry said, grateful to have his two best friends back at his side. "Teddy safe?"

"We left him with Mrs. Weasley," Hermione answered. "Neville and Luna were back. They had these guys with them," she said, indicating the aurors behind her. "But they had no idea where to find us, seeing as you didn't know where we were going when you sent Neville and Luna off to warn Kingsley. Luckily, we came along and thought they might be some help and brought them back as soon as we got Teddy settled."

"Thanks." Turning to the aurors, Harry said, "There are two guys here, another downstairs, and another in the room there. They are all either stupefied or knocked unconscious. The one in there is Yaxley."

A burly auror standing closest to Harry tilted his head towards Malfoy. "What about him?"

Harry looked over at the blond. "He's actually here with me. Helping." The auror's eyes widened at this but otherwise, he kept quiet.

"I'd stay and give you guys a statement or something but I need to get Andromeda to St. Mungo's. If you need me, Kingsley will know where to find me."

"We understand, Mr. Potter," one of the female aurors said. She then turned to her colleagues and began issuing orders to secure and transport the prisoners back to the ministry.

Harry, meanwhile, looked back at Ron and Hermione. "Come on. Andromeda needs help." He turned and hurried back through the nearby doors, Ron, Hermione, and Draco following behind him. Hermione quickly knelt down and mimicked Draco's earlier actions, only more smoothly. When she finished and caught Harry's eye, she look grave.

"We need to hurry." Harry didn't need to be told twice. At his instructions, Hermione conjured a stretcher and Ron levitated the elderly woman onto it. Harry then levitated the stretcher and, together, the three friends took hold, preparing to apparate with the cumbersome patient.

Looking back at Malfoy, who had quietly stood back during the work, Harry said, "Thank you for helping."

Malfoy, though, didn't look pleased. Instead, his face took on a determined look. "I'm coming too, Potter." Not wanting to waste time fighting, Harry simply nodded and Draco took the fourth corner of the stretcher. Together, they turned on the spot, reappearing seconds later in the lobby of St. Mungo's.

Carrying the stretcher, they hurried to the desk, pushing people out of the way in their urgency. Reaching the welcome witch, Harry said, "We need help. Now."

The witch didn't even look up. "Fill out a form and then return to the desk. Be sure and detail exactly how you contracted your disease or injury."

Harry, still running on adrenaline from the earlier battle, banged his fist on the table, causing the woman to jump. But he did succeed in getting her attention. She gasped as she realized who was standing in front of her. Her eyes then scanned the three dirtied teens standing with Harry and finally fell on the woman on the stretcher. "Help. Now," Harry repeated. The welcome witch silently pointed down the hall on her right, through a set of double doors. The woman was clearly too startled to speak. Harry gave a terse thanks before the group turned and rushed down the hall.

Once through the doors, Harry loudly called for help. Immediately, a healer rushed over while an aid levitated the stretcher, relieving the four young people of their load. Another aid rushed over, urging the tense teens into the waiting area nearby. Harry watched as Andromeda was swept down the hall and out of sight.

"What's going on? What are they going to do to her?"

"Calm down, Mr. Potter." Subconsciously, Harry groaned at the idea of being recognized wherever he went. "The healers are examining her now. You must wait here and let them work. They will come see you as soon as they know anything." Harry nodded reluctantly, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Hermione laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'll go send word to the Burrow."

"No," Harry said. "No. I'll do it. I need to let Ginny know what happened."

"Good idea, mate. She was frantic when we showed up and you didn't earlier."

Harry nodded silently and turned away. He quickly composed his message and then conjured a patronus. As his stag stood before him, he said, "Tell Ginny: Andromeda ill. We are at St. Mungo's. Death Eaters captured. Don't come. Stay with James and Teddy." He watched as the bright creature bounded away to relay the message. Then, Harry collapsed in a chair. The other three quickly followed him as they silently waited for news on Andromeda's condition.

Not five minutes later, the ward was disrupted as a fiery witch burst through the doors, exclaiming, "Where are they? Where are Harry and Andromeda?"

"Ginny." Harry said quietly, getting his fiancee's attention. She stopped in her tract and turned to face him. For a second she just stared at him before she rushed forward, capturing him in a bone crushing hug as soon as she reached him, a hug he returned with equal force. Not letting go of her, Harry asked, his voice muffled by her hair, "What are you doing here? I told you to stay with James and Teddy."

"My parents and brothers, along with Neville, Luna, and a few aurors, are with James and Teddy. I needed to be here, with you. They are both fine."

Harry breathed in the calming scent that he always associated with Ginny. "I'm glad you came." After another minute, the couple finally released each other. This time, when Harry sat, Ginny was next to him, hand tightly clasped in his. Together, the five teens sat silently in their vigil, awaiting word on Andromeda.


	33. Chapter 32: Always a Fighter

**Chapter 32**

**Always a Fighter**

**August**

As the minutes ticked by, Ginny maintained a firm grip on Harry's hand, reassuring herself that he was fine. Her mind kept slipping back to the past few agonizing hours.

xXx

_ "Don't tell me to relax, mum! How can I relax?" Ginny spat at her mother as she paced in front of the couch in the sitting room. She wanted to be furious with Harry for leaving her behind but she couldn't be. And so she was furious with herself instead. And worried. For Harry. For Ron and Hermione. For Teddy and Andromeda. And for James. Over the past hour, she had worked herself into a frenzy and now she could no longer contain her frustrated energy so she had resorted to pacing. _

_ She had been pacing upstairs in the nursery. Unfortunately, James seemed to sense her fear. That, combined with the fact that he had been colicky for days and was still not sleeping very well, meant that he was easily awoken. After Ginny accidently disturbed him for the third time, causing a chain reaction as his cries woke each of the other two infants, Fleur and Audrey, who had volunteered to stay at the Burrow and help, had swiftly banished her from the room. Trusting that her brothers' wife and girlfriend would take good care of James, she retreated to the ground floor._

_ Now, as she turned around in front of the couch for what felt like the millionth time, she could feel the eyes of her parents and Angelina on her. All three had taken turns trying to calm her while Bill and George were outside, ensuring the Burrow's safety, but nothing had worked. In fact, all four residents of the room were so tense that, when the fireplace burned green, they all jumped. Ginny stopped pacing, holding her breath, waiting for news, only to have her shoulders slump in disappointment when Neville stepped through, quickly followed by Luna and Kingsley._

_ "Neville and Luna told us what happened," Kingsley began as soon as he emerged. "Any news?"_

_ "Not yet," Mr. Weasley said._

_ "I have sent aurors out to the Tonks's home to find out what happened to the aurors on duty. I have also sent out some to supplement the one's protecting the Dursleys. Plus, there are a handful outside now to protect the Burrow."_

_ "Bill and George are out there now as well. They should be able to fill them in," Mrs. Weasley said._

_ "Good. I have some more on standby to go back up Harry and rescue Andromeda and Teddy but I didn't know where to send them. Do you know where they are?"_

_ "You could check Malfoy Manor but I suspect they are gone by now," Ginny said, bringing her pacing to a stop once more to participate in the conversation._

_ "Why there? Did the Malfoy's take them?" Kingsley asked, confused._

_ "No," Ginny answered. "He thought Malfoy, I mean Draco, might have an idea of where Yaxley had them."_

_ "I see. Well, I'll send a few aurors over there. Hopefully we can catch them before they leave." Kingsley pulled out his wand and produced a patronus which he spoke to briefly before it disappeared, presumably to alert the aurors on standby._

_ At that point, Neville said he was going to go out and join the watch outside while Luna and Kingsley took a seat and Ginny resumed her pacing. For the next hour, the only thing that disrupted this pattern was the arrival of one of the aurors to tell Kingsley that they had checked out Malfoy Manor and there was no sign of any of the trio or of Draco Malfoy. _

_ Thus it was in this same state that the residents of the Burrow were found when Ron and Hermione burst through the door, followed by Bill, George, and Neville, who had seen them apparate. Mrs. Weasley immediately jumped up, rushing to Hermione who had Teddy held tightly in her arms._

_ "Oh, sweatheart, dear boy, thank Merlin you are alright." Looking up at Hermione, she asked, "He is alright, isn't he?"_

_ "As far as I can tell. A little traumatized though. It was nearly impossible to get him to let go of Harry and now, he seems to have a death grip on my neck."_

_ "But where is Harry?" Ginny asked, having quietly come up behind her mother. After a moment of pure relief, her fear had returned ten-fold when Harry did not follow his friends into the house._

_ "He stayed behind with Malfoy to find Andromeda. He made us take Teddy and get him to safety," Ron answered while Hermione tried to convince the distressed toddler to allow Mrs. Weasley to take him. "He told us to take Teddy and bring him here and then to stay and keep you all safe."_

_ "Absolutely not!" Ginny almost yelled, just barely keeping her voice under control in deference to all the young children in the house. "You cannot leave him alone with that git. Malfoy was a Death Eater! How can you leave him alone with him? You go back, you go back right now. There are enough people here to keep us safe without your help!"_

_ "Calm down, sis. I was never going to listen to him. As soon as we got Teddy here, we were planning on heading back. I don't trust Malfoy as far as I can throw him."_

_ "There are some aurors here to help. Take them with you," Mr. Weasley told his son, who nodded. He had come up to the small group while Ginny was berating her brother. Meanwhile, Mrs. Weasley finally had Teddy in her arms. "We'll watch out for Teddy. We'll get him checked out and then try and get him to sleep. Just go get Andromeda and Harry."_

_ "Right. Hermione, let's get back. Where are the aurors?"_

_ "They are waiting right outside, Ron," Kingsley said from across the room. With that, the two friends turned and headed back out into the yard, disappearing from view._

xXx

Ginny did not think it was possible to feel as afraid as she felt when Ron and Hermione showed up without Harry. And now that she was here with him, she couldn't bring herself to let go of his hand. She needed the constant reassurance that he was alright, that he was still alive and well. When his stag had burst into the Burrow, declaring that they were at St. Mungo's, she thought her heart would burst. She hadn't even stayed put long enough to hear the whole message before she had rushed from the house and apparated to the hospital. Finding Harry safe only to find out Andromeda was hurt had filled her with relief and dread, all at once.

Beside her, Harry was also in no hurry to release the comfort their joined hands provided. His guilt over the danger he presented to those close to him had returned with full force and having Ginny nearby helped make it bearable. Teddy had been kidnapped because he was Harry's godson. Andromeda had been tortured because she was raising Teddy with Harry. In the end, it all came back to Harry. But holding tightly to Ginny's hand, Harry forced himself to remember all the reasons he needed those he loved and why they needed him, regardless of the danger it posed.

As they waited for news, the teens continued to sit in silence. An hour had passed by the time there was any commotion in the waiting room. As the doors to the ward banged open, they all turned to look. Harry stood, followed by the remaining four, as he saw Kingsley stride into the room.

"Kingsley," Harry said in greeting.

"Harry. I wish I was seeing you under better circumstances. Is there any word yet on Andromeda?"

"Not yet. It has been over an hour. I don't know what can be taking so long." Harry looked off in the direction they had taken the older women when he brought her in, mumbling, "Nothing good, I'm sure."

"I'm sure they are doing everything they can. Hopefully we will get an update soon."

"Hopefully," Harry echoed. "Did you come by to ask about Andromeda?"

"Not exclusively, no. I wanted to give you an update on what is going on now that the aurors are involved." Kingsley indicated that they all should sit and he, himself, took a seat facing Harry. "The aurors have doubled the protection surrounding the Burrow and your aunt and uncle. We also found the bodies of the two aurors who were protecting Andromeda and Teddy. They were in the forest behind the house. We suspect the Death Eaters approached from there and the aurors heard them and went to search but were taken out before they could call for backup."

"Oh, how horrible," Hermione said quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

"By the looks of it, they fought valiantly," Kingsley said, directing his words to the brunette before returning his attention to Harry. "We have also taken in the four Death Eaters found at the old manor ruins. They were transported to the ministry and will go before the Wizengamot in the next few days. As far as we can tell, you took down all of the remaining members of their group, including Yaxley who seems to have been the leader." Kingsley paused a minute to let the news sink in. "The good news is none of the other factions targeting you appear to be as well organized so it looks like the danger has dropped substantially with this takedown."

"And the bad news?" Harry asked.

"Well, the danger isn't completely gone. There are still Death Eaters out there who are after you and your family. But, like I said, they seem to be much less of a threat."

"The lone madman can be just as dangerous as a coordinated group," Harry said.

"True. But hopefully we can take them down. We are making progress but the auror ranks are still a tad low. And I am much more concerned about the groups targeting muggles and muggleborns, as there are still quite a few well organized factions of this type. Comparatively, the threats against you are nothing. In fact, the danger is likely at the lowest point it has ever been in your entire life." Kingsley added this last point with a tone of morose amusement.

"Isn't that wonderful? Hear that, Harry? Your entire life," Ginny said, her voice holding a hint of the sarcasm underneath her words.

Harry looked down at his fiancée and smiled. Then he looked back at Kingsley but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a healer walking into the room.

He approached the group, clearly oblivious to whom he was addressing. "You were the group to bring in the witch, correct?" As Harry and the minister turned to face him, his eyes widened in recognition. "Uh- Harry Potter. Er- I mean, Mr. Potter. And Minister. I'm sorry," he said, clearly at a loss for words.

"Yes," Harry said, trying to bring the healers attention back to the task at hand. "We brought in Andromeda Tonks. Is she alright?"

"Er, uh, right. Sorry." The healer cleared his throat, giving him a minute to collect himself. "Well, she was tortured terribly. I was going to report it to the aurors but I suspect this has already been taken care of," he said, turning a questioning gaze on the minister.

"Yes. Mr. Potter here rescued Mrs. Tonks and the perpetrators are already in ministry custody."

"Good. Well then, I need to find family for Mrs. Tonks. Can you help me with that?" he said, casting his gaze around at the group. Harry stepped forward slightly.

"Her husband and only daughter died in the war last year, along with her son-in-law. I'm the closest thing to family she has. We are joint guardians of her grandson, my godson."

"I see. Well then, I guess it is you I should be talking to. Would you like to speak in private?"

Harry, sensing that there was not good news, reached out for Ginny's hand. "No. Whatever you have to say to me, everyone can hear. We are family." Ginny squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Understood. If you could have a seat then." Everyone returned to their seats and the healer took a seat near Kingsley, across from Harry and Ginny. "Well, Mr. Potter, I don't have very good news, I'm afraid. Mrs. Tonks was an older woman, not terribly aged but her body was not prepared for the damage she endured. Additionally, it appears the cruciatus curse was used many times and her mind was not able to handle it. Few could. She is not in a fit state." The healer looked at Harry with sympathy, knowing his words were devastating. "I fear she is not likely to ever fully recover."

"What exactly do you mean, sir?" Harry asked.

"It appears that her mind, her very soul, has been broken. You say she lost many loved ones in the war?" he questioned. Harry and the others nodded. The healer then continued. "I suspect her state of grief, no matter how healed, left her vulnerable. And the crutiatus took her over the edge. I have seen many more grizzled warriors brought down by the curse. In the end, what it means is that she is no longer the woman you knew. She has lost herself and we don't know if she will ever find her way again. We have been able to heal most her physical injuries but her mind seems beyond our repair."

"Is she going to die?" Harry asked quietly.

"No, not from this, not right now. But I do believe she will need to be moved to the Janus Thickey ward for long term residents. She certainly isn't fit to be living on her own or as the guardian of a child at this time. There is a small chance of recovery but, with the cruciatus, the chance is very small. Once the mind has been broken, it is very difficult to repair."

"May we see her?" Ginny asked as Harry sat, trying to comprehend all that the healer had told him.

"Yes, but only one or two at a time please."

"I will return to the Burrow and let them know what has happened," Kingsley informed them. "If you need me, I will either be there or at the Ministry." Harry nodded and the older man glanced around at the gathered teens who had each seen so much violence and gave them a feeble smile before turning and leaving.

As soon as Kingsley was gone, Harry turned back to the healer and nodded. Keeping a grip on Ginny's hand, the two of them followed the healer down the hall. They stopped at a small cubicle with the curtains drawn. The healer reached forward to pull them back and the two teens entered. The healer then replaced the curtains, giving them some privacy.

Harry approached the bed, expecting to see Andromeda sleeping, given how still she was. He was thus startled to see her eyes open, staring blankly into space. Upon seeing the women he had come to love over the past year as they tried to raise Teddy without his parents, the woman he had come to realize, despite her looks, was so very different from her twisted sister, broken, Harry himself felt something break inside of him. He collapsed into the chair by the bed, finally giving into tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry," Harry repeated over and over again as he let the tears flow.

Beside him, Ginny had wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, Harry. It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself. There is no one to blame but the Death Eaters." As he cried, she held onto him for dear life. Slowly, his cries quieted and he relaxed into her. After several minutes, he broke the silence.

"Remember the night of the battle? When I went to let Riddle kill me?"

"Of course, Harry. I won't ever forget any part of that day."

"No. I mean, do you really remember. Because I do. Every little detail."

"Why, Harry?"

"Did I ever tell you about my journey into the forest?"

At this, Ginny took a deep, calming breath. They had talked about many things from that day, about those who had died, about the final battle, about the destruction and rebuilding, but never about his sacrifice. Once she was sure her voice was steady, she said, "You've never talked about that with me, Harry."

"Did you know I saw you right before I went into the forest? You were comforting an injured girl when I walked by under the cloak. You even looked up, as if you knew I was there."

"Oh, I remember that," Ginny said, sucking in a breath. "I felt someone there. But I couldn't see anyone. It was almost like that feeling you get when you know someone is watching you but you can't see them."

"It was all I could do to walk away from you when you looked up at me. I almost stopped, unable to leave your side for the last time."

"But it wasn't the last time, Harry. You're here with me, now. You and me."

"I know. But then, I truly believed I was about to die. I couldn't see this future." Harry paused and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer. "You remember what I told you about the Deathly Hallows?"

"Sure, wand, stone, cloak."

"Right. Well, I had the stone with me in the forest."

"You never told me anything about the stone. Just that you had it. Did you use it?"

"Yeah." Harry's voice was quavering slightly as he spoke. "I reached the edge of the forest and there were Dementors everywhere. I didn't have the strength to produce a patronus. I was so scared." Ginny squeezed him briefly, wordlessly reminding him that she was here and he was too. "My parents came. My dad told me how proud he was of me, how proud they both were. And Sirius was there. He looked so young and happy. But what really sticks out was Remus." Now Harry pulled away so he could look in Ginny's eyes. "I told him I was sorry, that I never wanted him to die, that I didn't want him to leave Teddy alone. But do you know what he told me?"

"What?"

"He said he was sorry he would never know his son but that Teddy would know why he died. He died to make a better world for Teddy to grow up in."

"That's what we were all fighting for Harry. A better world. Remus knew what he was doing. They all knew. They wanted to fight for it."

"I know. I do," Harry said, looking away from Ginny for a minute. When he looked back, Ginny saw a look of determination in his eyes. "But we haven't gotten there yet. Look what happened. Teddy has lost yet another person who loves him. The Death Eaters are still out there."

"I know, Harry. But Teddy still has you. And he has me. He has all of us."

"But it's not enough. We aren't done fighting yet. I know I said I was tired of fighting, tired of being a target. But none of that matters now."

"What are you talking about, Harry?"

"I'm going to join the aurors." His voice was firm as he told Ginny his intentions.

"Harry, no. You've done enough. More than anyone. It's not your responsibility anymore."

"It may not be up to me anymore but I haven't done enough." He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Ginny, this is what I'm good at. I'm a fighter. I've been lying to myself, thinking I could or should do something else with my life. How can I do anything else when there are still dark wizards out there? Knowing I could stop them? It's like Dumbledore and I talked about after I learned of the prophecy. It wasn't the prophecy that made it so that I had to be the one to finish Voldemort. It was me. I couldn't let him go, knowing what I did. This is the same thing."

Ginny looked at Harry, studying him. She saw his resolve written all over his face. His selflessness was one of the things she loved about him but sometimes, she really wished he would be just a little selfish. As much as she wished he could have a peaceful and quiet life, deep down, she knew Harry was a fighter. Sighing, torn between resignation and pride, she said, "Well, I guess I knew life with you wouldn't be boring. How can I ask you not to do it, knowing how much good you can do?"

"I have to do this, Gin. For everyone we lost in the war."

"I know you do, Harry. Just promise me something?"

"What?"

"Promise me you won't go sacrificing yourself again. You have a family now. We need you alive."

"I can't promise I won't get hurt or even killed, Gin."

"I know. I'm not asking that. But no more going off into the forest to willingly give up your life. There are no more madmen running around with your mother's blood in their veins, keeping you tethered to life. I don't want to find out if you can survive the killing curse a third time."

Harry pulled Ginny close again. "I promise," he whispered, his lips close to her ear.

The couple sat next to Andromeda for a few more minutes before getting up to leave. As they walked out to let someone else visit, there was a new determination in their step. They had lost many in the battle against evil but they weren't giving up the fight.


	34. Epilogue: Finally United

**A/N: So, here we have the final chapter to our journey. But if anyone is interested in reading more, I wrote a one-shot about when Angelina told George that she was pregnant. Check it out: The Joke Is On Us.**

**And now, to the conclusion...**

* * *

**Epilogue**

**Finally United**

Harry stood in the door, watching his son and godson sleep. The world seemed so simple as he leaned against the doorjamb. In this room, nothing bad could happen. Harry smiled as James gurgled in his sleep, the sound completely innocent in Harry's ears. With all his heart, Harry wanted for that innocence to be protected for the rest of his son's life but he knew all too well how fragile it was and knew that one day, it would be shattered, no matter what Harry did to postpone that day.

Harry's heart broke as he looked over at the slumbering sixteen month old next to James, wondering if his innocence had already been shattered. In his short life, he had lost his mother, his father, and his grandmother and had been held captive in a dark dungeon. However, now, the young metamorphagus slept peacefully. Harry loved watching Teddy sleep, as he could fully see Remus in the toddler's features while he was relaxed. But right now, that just reminded Harry of all the small boy had lost.

It had been three weeks since Teddy and Andromeda had been kidnapped and rescued. In that time, Andromeda had shown no improvement and had been moved to the permanent ward at St. Mungo's. Meanwhile, Harry had taken over full-time care of his godson. The days had become hectic, with two boys under the age of two, but Harry didn't care. He owed it to Remus, Tonks, and Andromeda. And most of all, he owed it to Teddy. He finally understood that Remus and Tonk's deaths were not his fault but that didn't matter anymore. He had made them a promise when he had accepted the role of godfather and he knew better than anyone how important that promise was. So far, all he had done was put Teddy in danger but Harry was determined that, no matter how hard he had to work, he would do everything in his power to keep Teddy from being in danger again, just as he would keep James from being in danger. Between him and Ginny, the two sleeping boys would be well protected.

Harry was jerked out of his thoughts has a hand touched his shoulder. Whipping his head around, he found himself face to face with Ron.

"Bloody hell, Ron. You scared me!"

"Sorry, mate," Ron said, a grin spread across his face indicating he wasn't sorry at all. "We've been looking all over for you. What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here right now. Ginny'd kill you."

"I just needed to see them, make sure they were alright."

"Harry," Ron said, his expression turning serious, "Mum took care of them last night. And Ginny was here, too. They're fine. They're safe."

Harry sighed. "I know. Last night was just the first night I've spent away from them since it happened and I needed to see them."

"I get it Harry. But they're fine." A looked of amusement spread across his face, replacing the seriousness. "And now that you've seen them, we need to go. Ginny will kill you if she catches you. Then she'll kill me for letting you come here. You'll see them again in a few hours."

Harry hesitated before agreeing. He turned and snuck back down the stairs with Ron. Just as they passed the landing outside of Ginny's room, Harry stepped on a squeaky stair. "Bugger," Harry whispered while he and Ron froze.

"Mum?" they heard Ginny call out.

"Run," Ron breathed, just loud enough for Harry to hear. Together, they bounded down the stairs and through the door to the front yard, reaching the apparition point and disappearing on the spot.

Nearly six hours later, they were back at the Burrow, dressed in their formal robes. Harry was pacing, unable to control his nerves. Ron was standing nearby, trying to distract him.

"At least Ginny didn't catch us this morning. Thought we were mum!" Harry gave Ron a strained smile. "Come on Harry. You're going to burn a hole in the floor!" Ron smiled brightly as Harry did indeed come to a stop. However, his smile fled when Harry looked up at his best friend, his eyes full of worry.

"This doesn't feel right," Harry said, his voice tight.

"Marrying my sister?" Ron asked. "Cuz, no offence mate, but you guys already have a kid."

"Not that. I love Ginny. Just, the wedding. It doesn't feel right. Andromeda is still at St. Mungo's. The attack is so recent. It doesn't feel right to be celebrating."

"Harry, you already postponed the wedding two weeks. Bill and Fleur got married in the middle of a war! Didn't we learn anything? You celebrate what you can, when you can." Ron reached out to put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Plus, mate, Andromeda may never recover. You can't wait for that. And she wouldn't want you to." Ron put a big smile on. "You're getting married, Harry. Officially joining the family. Be happy about it!"

"I know. I'm just worried it's too soon."

"Ugh!" Ron exclaimed as Hermione walked into the room.

"What's going on?" she asked, sensing the tension.

"Harry's being a martyr again. Thinks it is inappropriate to have a wedding with Andromeda still so sick."

"Harry!" Hermione scolded. "Everyone is excited for today. No one thinks it's too soon. So stop acting like a git and get into the spirit of today." Hermione glared at the boy who she had been pulling out of danger for years, as if daring him to create trouble on today of all days. She knew a certain red-headed female would behead him if he brooded through their wedding. Luckily, between his two friends, Harry appeared sufficiently chastised.

"I know! I just can't help but worry. Apparently, it's what I do best."

"Well get over it because Ginny sent me in here to make sure you two were ready and I am not going back up there to tell her you are a prat." Hermione looked around. "Where's Neville?"

"Don't worry, Hermione. He's out in the tent already, making sure there are no problems." Ron answered.

"Good. Well you two should go join him. Ginny's ready." With that, Hermione turned and headed back out. The two boys watched her leave before slowing following and heading out to the tent.

Twenty minutes later, Harry waited nervously at the end of the aisle, Ron and Neville standing beside him as he watched Hermione and Luna walk towards him. But every concern he had fled the minute Ginny stepped into view. Her wedding robes hugged her figure and her hair shined in the sun but Harry barely noticed any of it as his eyes caught hers. Her eyes glowed with happiness and Harry thought he was crazy for ever having thought about further postponing this moment.

Harry was breathless as she walked towards him. She reached the end of the aisle and smiled up at him, taking his offered hand. Harry hoped his eyes portrayed the overwhelming amount of emotions he was feeling because he was speechless. He hoped the tears glimmering in her eyes meant she understood.

As the wiry old wizard that seemed to preside over every major wizarding ceremony began speaking, the couple barely heard a word. It wasn't until Ron poked him that Harry realized the wizard had asked him for his vows. Harry took a deep breath and began reciting the words he had spent weeks trying to perfect.

"A year ago, I didn't know if I had a future. For years, I hadn't been able to see anything but Riddle ahead of me. But then you came along. I mean, you had been there for years but I hadn't really seen you. And then, suddenly, I wanted a future and I wanted it with you. I know I was a prat, trying to protect you, losing a year that we could have been together. I missed you and regretted leaving you every moment we were apart. But never again. I'm yours for the rest of our lives. This past year has been hard, harder than I would have ever dreamed considering Riddle is finally gone. But you pulled me through. You cared for me when I needed it, you leaned on me when you needed to, and you smacked some sense into me when I was being an idiot. You have taken in my godson as if he was your own and you have given me the most wonderful gift in the world when you gave me James. I can't promise you I won't be a right git sometimes but I can promise that I will always be your git." There was a smattering of laughter as Harry paused, smiling down at Ginny, whose eyes were leaking tears but whose lips were spread wide in a bright smile. "You are the reason I was able to fulfill the prophecy and come out the other side. You are the reason I keep going still, no matter what trouble comes my way. I love you, Ginerva Molly Weasley, and I will love you for the rest of our lives and beyond.

When the wizard turned to Ginny, she took a steadying breath and then spoke, her voice full of joy. "I used to joke that I was going to marry _the _Harry Potter. I had such a crush on the boy-who-lived. And then you showed up one summer with my idiot brother," ("_Hey!"_ Ron exclaimed just loud enough to be heard, causing everyone to laugh softly.) "and I realized I had a crush on a fantasy. But then you saved my life and I started to fall in love with the real you. Your hero complex was hard to miss. But there is so much more. You are the most caring, loving, kind man I have ever met. You're not perfect but I don't care. I want to be there for all the good times and the bad times. I got over my crush on the boy-who-lived years ago. Now, I have the biggest crush on plain old Harry. And this time, I'm sticking with it forever. I promise to be there for you when you need me because I know you will be there for me when I need you. We have a wonderful family and two little boys whom I love but I can't wait to be a real family and, in time, see that family grow even bigger. Because I love you, Harry James Potter and I can't wait to be your wife."

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. When the old wizard finally presented Mr. and Mrs. Harry James Potter, Harry leaned down and captured Ginny's lips with his own and for a moment, the two of them were lost in a world all their own. That is, until they were pulled apart and surrounded by well-wishers. Ron and Neville clapped Harry on the back while Hermione and Luna gave the new couple tearful hugs. They were then followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the rest of Ginny's brothers, and all their friends.

By the time they were released, a dance floor had magically appeared in the center of the tent. Tables were spread around it and glasses of champagne floated through the air. Harry took his new wife's hand and led her to the center of the dance floor. He pulled her close as a soft song began to play.

"I thought you didn't dance, Mr. Potter," Ginny whispered in his ear.

"I just never had the right partner, Mrs. Potter."

"Mhmm. I like the sound of that," Ginny sighed contently.

"Will you still love it when the Daily Prophet gets ahold of you?" Harry teased.

"I'll just hex them into the next century. Nobody messes with my family."

"Good. Because nobody messes with my family either, Mrs. Potter."

"Speaking of which, there was a mysterious person outside my door this morning," Ginny said, coyly.

Forcing himself to maintain an innocent expression, Harry responded, "Really? Who was it?"

"Dunno," Ginny said with a smile. "But I'm sure they were trespassing. Very troubling."

Harry swallowed carefully. "Trespassing? Are you sure? Maybe it was just your mum."

"Oh, no, I'm sure it was someone who wasn't supposed to be there. Someone who must be punished, severely." Ginny said with mock seriousness, which dissolved into laughter as she saw the look on her new husband's face. He glared down at her indignantly.

"Maybe it was just someone who needed to see his boys, make sure they were alright!"

Ginny leaned up to kiss him. "Mhmm. I still think I will have to punish this person tonight." She pulled back, a seductive glint in her eye.

Catching on, Harry responded, "Oh, I get it. Yes, punished. I think something can be arranged." He pulled her back against him and together, they danced for hours. When they finally went to make their escape, Ron and Hermione had to drag them away from Teddy and James, promising to watch over the boys every minute the two were gone. As they headed down to the apparation point, they were slowed by hugs from all the remaining wedding guests.

Finally, they spun on the spot and disappeared. They reappeared inside a small beach cottage they had rented for the week. Dropping their bags, Harry pulled Ginny towards the bedroom. "Guess what, Mrs. Potter."

"What, Mr. Potter?"

"We did it."

"Did what?"

"Got married," Harry answered quietly as he leaned down to kiss her neck.

"We did," Ginny said, sighing, as Harry's lips moved farther down to her collarbone. "You're stuck with me forever now."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he said, his lips against her skin. And together, they tumbled onto the bed, beginning a life together that had really started years ago, when a scrawny, green-eyed little boy asked a mother and her ginger haired little girl how to get onto Platform 9¾.

* * *

**A/N: And so our journey ends. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. And thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, favorite, and followed! But don't stop now. The reviews have really slowed down of late and I'm not sure anyone is still interested. So please review. Let me know what you think about how I ended it. Did you like it? Did you hate it? I'm sure someone out there has something to say. Plus, I've got some ideas for a sequel, one which brings Ron and Hermione back more into the story (although Harry and Ginny are still there, too, so don't worry) but I don't want to write it if no one is interested. **

**Thanks for reading!**


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